Hundreds of city and county officials joined an anti-taxpayer coalition in Austin recently to oppose a critically important property tax reform bill. Among other important provisions, the Senate’s version of the bill (SB 2) would empower taxpayers to vote on excessive property tax hikes imposed by cities and counties.
Under current state law, only school districts must seek voter approval for tax hikes over and above the state limit. Cities and counties do not.
House lawmakers have a simple decision to make—either side with local politicians, government associations, and liberal advocacy groups, or with Texas taxpayers.
Lawmakers should pass the Senate version of SB 2, as the committee substitute passed by the House Ways and Means Committee was a defanged and diluted version that would do little help taxpayers hold local politicians accountable.
Below is a list of all who traveled to Austin to publicly testify or signal their opposition to pro-taxpayer reforms.
Testifying Against SB 2 (Property Tax Reform)
| Name | Entity |
|---|---|
| Hamill, Joe | American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees |
| Mayfield, Kara | Arcit |
| Casaday, Kenneth | Austin Police Association |
| Romero, Andrew | Austin Police Association |
| Marquardt, Anthony | Austin Travis County EMS Association |
| Mendenhall, Nathan | Bexar County Fire Marshals office |
| Huckaby, Clay | Buda Fire Department |
| Lavine, Dick | Center for Public Policy Priorities |
| Gonzalez, Ernest | Cities of Eagle Pass and San Diego |
| Miller, Jared | City of Amarillo |
| Drain, Eddie | City of Amarillo |
| Solis, Eddie | City of Arlington |
| Adler, Steve | City of Austin |
| Van Eeno, Ed | City of Austin |
| Crum, Ben | City of Balcones Heights |
| De Leon, Suzanne | City of Balcones Heights |
| Harris, David | City of Balcones Heights |
| Jahanara, John | City of Balcones Heights |
| Ward, Brock | City of Balcones Heights |
| Grimes, Bryan | City of Ballinger |
| Acevedo, Julie | City of Baytown |
| Matzen, Tom | City of Bee Cave, Councilman |
| Kostelich, Blu | City of Bridgeport |
| McEachern, Jesica | City of Bridgeport |
| Stanford, Steve | City of Bridgeport |
| Maynard, Jackie | City of Bryan |
| Mantey, Ricky | City of Bryan Fire Department |
| Riley, Jeremy | City of Bryan Fire Department |
| Cordell, Billy | City of Burleson |
| Freeman, Ken | City of Burleson |
| Shetter, Ken | City of Burleson |
| Mooney, Karl | City of College Station |
| Hunt, Karen | City of Coppell |
| Tagliabue, Tom | City of Corpus Christi |
| Holmes, Anna | City of Dallas |
| Walker, Kwame | City of Dallas |
| McCowan, Curtistene | City of DeSoto |
| Cuellar, Guadalupe | City of El Paso |
| Patterson, TJ | City of Fort Worth |
| Price, Betsy | City of Fort Worth |
| Bruce, John | City of Frisco |
| Huffman, Shona | City of Frisco |
| Maso, Maher | City of Frisco |
| Piland, Mark | City of Frisco |
| Hill, Henry | City of Frisco |
| Brezina, Benjamin | City of Frisco |
| Bakko, Sally | City of Galveston |
| Athas, Douglas | City of Garland |
| Lee, Mark | City of Garland Fire Department |
| Sullivan, John | City of Georgetown |
| Hulett, Nin | City of Granbury |
| Martinez, Christy | City of Grand Prairie Police Department |
| Spencer, Sharron | City of Grapevine |
| Bark, Jerry | City of Harker Heights |
| Bark, Jerry | City of Harker Heights |
| Sims, Paul | City of Harker Heights |
| Bracco, Lance | City of Hewitt |
| Miles, Adam | City of Hewitt |
| Kelly, Bill | City of Houston, Mayor's Office |
| Caruthers, Clay | City of Hurst |
| Fulton, Clayton | City of Hurst |
| Moore, Steve | City of Hurst |
| Kitchens, Larry | City of Hurst |
| Lamas, Luis | City of Ingleside, Mayor |
| Conley, Victor | City of Irving |
| Hillman, Chris | City of Irving |
| Weist, Jon | City of Irving |
| Spivey, Jeff | City of Irving |
| Ayala, Joe | City of Jacinto, Police Dept. |
| Calvin, Taylor | City of Laredo |
| Kuenstler, Kelly | City of Leon Valley |
| Riley, Chris | City of Leon Valley |
| Valdez, Luis | City of Leon Valley and Alamo Area Fire Chiefs Association |
| Cimics, Ed | City of Live Oak |
| Dennis, Mary | City of Live Oak |
| Everett, Christopher | City of Live Oak |
| Hopper, Gary | City of Live Oak |
| Wayman, Scott | City of Live Oak |
| Floyd, Robert | City of Lubbock, City of Lufkin |
| Aaron, Tracy | City of Mansfield |
| Chandler, Clayton | City of Mansfield |
| Smolinski, Joe | City of Mansfield |
| Phillis, Peter | City of Mansfield |
| Hale, Angela | City of McKinney |
| Kerns, Donald | City of Menard |
| Cato, Charles | City of Mesquite |
| Pickett, Stan | City of Mesquite |
| Kerby, Mark | City of Mesquite |
| Wyatt, Jerry | City of Missouri City |
| LaRosiliere, Harry | City of Plano |
| McCarley, James | City of Plano |
| Pirozzo, Danny | City of Plano |
| Youngkin, Brandi | City of Plano |
| Solomon, Mark | City of Richardson |
| Lang, Susan | City of Richmond |
| Johnson, Gary | City of Roanoke |
| Campbell, Scott | City of Roanoke |
| Whittaker, Chris | City of Rockdale |
| Acevedo, Julie | City of Round Rock |
| Funderburk, Brian | City of Rowlett |
| Brodnax, Mike | City of Rowlett |
| Elliott, Troy | City of San Antonio |
| Brandon, James | City of Southlake |
| Hill, Laura | City of Southlake |
| Jackson, Sharen | City of Southlake |
| Ortowski, Alison | City of Southlake |
| Starr, Michael | City of Southlake |
| Adame, Juan | City of Sugar Land |
| Brown, Jennifer | City of Sugar Land |
| Ramirez, Rick | City of Sugar Land |
| Myers, Brynn | City of Temple |
| Barnard, Traci | City of Temple |
| Perez, Joe | City of The Colony |
| Shallenburger, Brant | City of The Colony |
| Thompson, Scott | City of The Colony |
| Nystrom, Ashley | City of Waco |
| Wood, Robert | City of West Lake Hills |
| Smith, Aaron | City of Whitehouse, City Manager |
| Borel, Dennis | Coalition of Texans with Disabilities |
| Smith, Arianna | Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas |
| Jones, Chris | Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas |
| Poteat, Jennifer | Community College Association of Texas Trustees |
| Hamlin, Marc | County & District Clerks' Association of Texas |
| Roberts, Cary | County & District Clerks' Association of Texas |
| Allison, Jim | County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas |
| Pape, Paul | County of Bastrop |
| Burrows, Jon | County of Bell |
| Shannon, Melissa | County of Bexar, Commissioners Court |
| Oakley, James | County of Burnet |
| Dominguez, Alex | County of Cameron |
| Underwood, Byron | County of Cherokee |
| Brinkley, Jason | County of Cooke |
| Reed, Charles | County of Dallas, Commissioners Court |
| Daniel, Theresa | County of Dallas, Commissioners Court |
| Horn, Mary | County of Denton |
| Hardgrove, Wallace | County of El Paso |
| Dion, Edward | County of El Paso and Texas Association of County Auditors |
| Hebert, Robert | County of Fort Bend |
| Clark, Ken | County of Galveston |
| Davenport, Mitchell | County of Jack |
| Arnold, Eddie | County of Jefferson |
| Harmon, Roger | County of Johnson |
| Wood, Bruce | County of Kaufman |
| Agnew, Murray | County of Limestone |
| Jones, Patti | County of Lubbock |
| McCay, Bill | County of Lubbock |
| Pardue, Craig | County of Midland |
| Bradford, Mike | County of Midland |
| Langford, Bob | County of Montague |
| Murphey, Mark | County of Montague |
| Neal, Samuel | County of Nueces |
| Bailey, Dennis | County of Rockwall |
| Finley, Trace | County of San Patricio, Commissioners Court |
| Henderson, Jennifer | County of Schleicher |
| Mendez, Mark | County of Tarrant |
| Whitley, Glen | County of Tarrant |
| Floyd, Steve | County of Tom Green |
| Riley, Nicki | County of Travis County |
| Rio, Jessica | County of Travis County |
| Suits, Stacy | County of Travis County |
| Daugherty, Gerald | County of Travis, Commissioners Court |
| Eckstein, Deece | County of Travis, Commissioners Court |
| Worsham, Grover | County of Trinity |
| Gossom, Woodrow | County of Wichita |
| Akin, Lane | County of Wise |
| Shaw, Monte | County of Wise |
| Burns, Kevin | County of Wise |
| Frazier, Frederick | Dallas Police Association |
| Cook, David | Fort Worth Police Officers Association/CLEAT |
| Hale, Angela | Frisco Chamber of Commerce |
| Devlin, James | Hewitt Police Department / City of Hewitt |
| Anderson, Jessica | Houston Police Department |
| Gutierrez, Bobby | Justices of the Peace and Constables Assocation of Texas |
| Gravell, Bill | Justices of the Peace and Constables Assocation of Texas |
| Pantel, Jama | Justices of the Peace and Constables Assocation of Texas |
| Lopez, Carlos | Justices of the Peace and Constables Assocation of Texas |
| Montgomery, Phil | Justices of the Peace and Constables Assocation of Texas |
| Salvaggio, Joseph | Leon Valley Police Department |
| Bondurant, Barry | Mansfield Fire Rescue |
| Hale, Angela | McKinney Chamber of Commerce |
| Campbell, Drew | North Texas Commission |
| Campos, Lorena | San Antonio Chamber of Commerce |
| Hood, Charles | San Antonio Fire Department |
| Jones, James | San Antonio Police Department |
| McManus, William | San Antonio Police Department |
| Bailey, Richard | Self |
| Coats, Ladonna | Self |
| DePalma, Rich | Self |
| DeWitt, Jim | Self |
| Elfant, Bruce | Self |
| Green, Joseph | Self |
| Henderson, Jennifer | Self |
| Hitt, Greg | Self |
| Holmes, Sylvia | Self |
| Hunt, Taylor | Self |
| Mayfield, Jeff | Self |
| Yevich, Elizabeth | Self |
| O'Connor, T. Michael | Sheriff's Assocation of Texas |
| Roark, Mark | Sheriff's Assocation of Texas |
| Scaman, Ricky | Sheriff's Assocation of Texas |
| Harmon, Micah | Sheriff's Assocation of Texas |
| Louderback, AJ | Sheriff's Assocation of Texas |
| Capers, Greg | Sheriff's Assocation of Texas, County of San Jacinto |
| Milligan, Maureen | Teaching hospitals of texas |
| Burrows, Katie | Temple College |
| Lara, Rene | Texas AFL-CIO |
| Johnson, Steven | Texas Association of Community Colleges |
| Reed, Ender | Texas Association of Counties |
| Sugg, Paul | Texas Association of Counties |
| Lee, Donald | Texas Conference of Urban Counties |
| Mincy, Jeffrey | Texas EMS Alliance |
| Wait, Dudley | Texas EMS Alliance and City of Schertz |
| Wilkes, Betty | Texas Fire Chiefs Association |
| Neely-Lopez, Christina | Texas Fire Marshals' Association |
| Henley, Terry | Texas Municipal League |
| McPherson, Hollly | Texas Municipal League |
| McBeath, Don | Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals |
| McLaughlin, James | Texas Police Chiefs Association |
| Carlton, John | Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts |
| Avery, Clay | Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts |
| Deshields, Glenn | Texas State Association of Fire Fighters |
| Harris, Dwight | Texas AFT |
| Garrett, Ro'Vin | The Tax Assessor-Collectors Association of Texas |
| Johnson, Noel | TMPA Texas Municipal Police Association |
| Greaser, Eric | Town of Flower Mound |
| Abbott, Robert | Travis County Emergency Services District No. 6 / Lake Travis Fire Rescue |
| Torgrimson, Peter | Travis County ESD 4 |
| Cannata, John | TSA |
| Henderson, Gary | United Way of Denton County |
| Smith, Andrew | University Health System |
