A new poll from Quinnipiac University shows that Texans polled are overwhelmingly in favor of the legislature’s proposal to limit the annual growth of local property tax rates.

“Voters support 77 – 18 percent requiring local governments to get voter approval if they want to increase property taxes more than 2.5 percent,” reads the poll. The proposed 2.5 percent rollback rate is the major piece of Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 2, the two identical property tax reform bills being discussed in Austin.

The bills seek to slow the growth of property taxes by triggering elections if local governments propose a property tax rate that would increase property tax revenues by more than 2.5 percent.

SB 2 has been passed out of the Texas Senate Committee on Property Tax and is awaiting a floor vote while HB 2 gets its committee hearing today, February 27.

Charles Blain

Charles Blain is the president of Urban Reform and Urban Reform Institute. A native of New Jersey, he is based in Houston and writes on municipal finance and other urban issues.

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