Dear Editor,
The public is to vote on Senator Bettencourt’s Constitutional Amendments Proposition 1 and 2 on May 7, 2022. I have included some frequently asked Q&A on propositions that are less than a month away from being voted on.
The election will be held on Saturday, May 7th, and early voting will begin on Monday, April 25th.
The Secretary of State has been sending calls to my office about Propositions 1 and 2. Many voters have been finding the ballot language confusing, and I want to clarify what these amendments actually do. Homeowners over the age of 65 will see their freeze values for school taxes actually decline, aka, ISD property tax bills if Proposition 1 passes! Also if passed, Proposition 2 will lower independent school district property tax bills by increasing the homestead exemption that will save money for the 5.67 million homesteads in the State of Texas.
Below are some plain language talking points to answer many of the frequently asked questions.
Proposition 1 will benefit individuals with an over 65 or disabled exemption on their homestead.
• If an individual has an over 65/disabled exemption on their home and this proposition passes, they will receive a reduction on school district property taxes.
• HB 3 from the 86th Legislature compressed school maintenance and operation tax rates across the board except for over 65/disabled because their rate was already lower than the new compressed rate for everyone else.
• This amendment will provide for the same percentage reduction in an individual’s school district tax rate that everyone else received in 2019.
• There are 1.8 million over 65 exemptions and 180,000 disabled exemptions, on average these households will see a $110 reduction the first year and $125 reduction in the second year; the reduction will continue to grow each year.
Read the full letter in this week's edition of the Yorktown News-View. Call 361-564-2242 to subscribe.