Did your property value go up this year?  How about your assessment from the appraisal district? 

Many Jefferson County home owners will be answering yes to those two questions this year.   

Did you hear that The House Select Committee On Property Tax Relief and Appraisal Reform was in Beaumont today? 

Speaking in a public hearing at Lamar University, Chairman Otto explained the goal of the committee is to report and recommend legislation which will give taxpayers relief from rising property taxes. 

Concerned citizens spoke up about their property tax problems.  If you didn’t have time to attend the hearing today, here’s a few statements that you missed:

• A resident of Vidor, "There should be no increase in a home owners value unless there are comparable sales to support the increase".
• A retired home owner in Beaumont, bought her home in 1986 for $80,000 and now can’t afford the taxes on her home that is currently valued at approximately $175,000.
• A retired home owner in Mid-County has seen an 88% increase in his tax assessed value in the past five years.  His home is 50 years old.
• A Valero Representative spoke in favor of the current system.  He states that in all the states Valero has operations, Texas has one of the best tax systems.  (I’m not sure how popular he was with the rest of the crowd).  Even the committee called him on the carpet about a West Texas Valero Refinery that is disputing their tax assessment and withholding paying taxes while the issue is resolved.
• A Nederland home owner who’s lived in his home for 49 years has seen his home’s tax assessment go from $74,000 in 2007 to $94,000 in 2008.  He’s 78 years old.

Five key points made by the committee worth mentioning:

1. In Texas there is no state income tax, therefore the consumption tax and property tax are the only taxes that fund the operation of the government.
2. In the five prior hearings they had found 50-60% of the time Appraisal Review Boards sided with the home owner making an appeal.
3. The government is run by those who show up.  This quote made by Representative Taylor implies that citizens who care and get involved can make a difference in government decisions.
4. Tax assessments will now show a five year tax history in an effort to give home owners more information about their property tax increases.
5. The creation of a taxpayer advocate is an idea being considered by the committee.

The hearing continued on for more than three hours with public testimony.  After the public said their peace then invited testimony was heard from the Chief Appraisers of Chambers, Jefferson, Liberty, and Orange Counties.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for the invited testimony. 

One take away from the hearing, Jefferson County home owners called out loud and clear.  They want property tax relief.