Rep. Terri Leo Wilson Supports Governor Abbott’s Five Step Property Tax Plan

Austin, TX – State Representative Terri Leo Wilson issued the following statement in strong support of Governor Greg
Abbott’s newly announced five step property tax plan which lays out a clear path to meaningful and lasting tax relief for
Texas homeowners.
“Texans deserve real and lasting property tax relief. This past legislative session, I proudly supported historic tax cuts that
delivered relief to families, homeowners, and small businesses. But we must go further. I remain fully committed to
eliminating property taxes and replacing this broken system with one that respects taxpayers and keeps people in their
homes. Governor Abbott’s five step plan provides the bold direction we need to finally achieve that goal.”
Governor Abbott’s plan includes:
Requiring common sense local spending limits
The plan limits local government spending to a formula based on population growth plus inflation or 3.5 percent,
whichever is less. This ensures responsible budgeting and prevents unnecessary spending that drives taxes up.
Requiring two thirds voter approval for tax increases
Any local property tax increase would need the support of two thirds of voters before it could take effect. This restores the
power where it belongs with the people and ensures broad consensus before taxes can increase.
Empowering voters to roll back taxes
Under this plan taxpayers would be able to force a rollback election if 15 percent of registered voters in a local jurisdiction
sign a petition. This gives communities a powerful tool to stop runaway tax rates.
Creating appraisal predictability and capping appraisal growth
The proposal requires properties to be appraised only once every five years which would reduce unexpected valuation
spikes. It also lowers the annual appraisal cap for homesteads from 10 percent to 3 percent and extends this cap to all
properties including businesses and rental homes.
Eliminating school property taxes for homeowners
Governor Abbott’s plan includes a constitutional amendment giving voters the opportunity to eliminate school district
property taxes the largest portion of most Texans property tax bills. This represents the most significant step toward true
tax freedom for Texas families.
Rep. Leo Wilson added: “These reforms put taxpayers first. I look forward to working with Governor Abbott and my
colleagues to make this plan a reality. Texans are demanding decisive action and I will continue fighting relentlessly until
we eliminate property taxes once and for all.”