Dear Constituent,
The 88th legislative session concluded on May 29, followed by two special sessions. Through it all, we passed important legislation to strengthen the pocketbooks and the health of all Texans, including:
These new laws will help our families earn more money and keep more money in their pockets. And we invested in more educational and economic opportunities to ensure every family with the drive has the chance to secure a better future.
While serving on the Energy Resources Committee and as vice chair of Environmental Regulation, the economy and jobs remained at the forefront of the agenda.
My past service as a senior member of the Public Health Committee allowed me to advance major legislation to increase health care access for young families. And as chair of the Resolutions Calendars Committee, we proved the spirit of bipartisanship is alive and well in Texas.
Over six legislative sessions working for you, our priorities have remained constant: good jobs, access to affordable health care, and quality education for our children. As the son of a public school teacher and a proud product of the Valley, I am especially driven by our heartfelt duty to stand up for our families.
It is a gratifying experience working side by side with the Valley delegation, many who were in key leadership posts, and all of whom work collaboratively to defend the interests of South Texas families.
The 88th Texas Legislature passed the largest property tax relief in Texas history - sending $18 billion back to homeowners. Texas’ fast rate of growth and a slowdown in new housing supply over the pandemic skyrocketed appraisals, placing a real burden on homeowners.
The centerpiece of the property tax reform package is Senate Bill 2 from the second called session. It lowers the school property tax rate for all homeowners and business properties. Texas homeowners will also see their homestead exemption increased from $40,000 to $100,000 and homeowners over 65 or with disabilities will see their homestead exemption rise to $110,000. A second bill, SB 3, provides franchise tax relief for small business owners.
A constitutional amendment to enact these property tax cuts will be on the November ballot.
Along with lowering the tax rate and more than doubling the homestead exemption, the Legislature also passed reforms to make your taxes easier to understand. The Legislature reformed five major parts of the property tax system:
What does this mean for an Hidalgo County property tax owner like you? You could see more than a $1,000 decrease on your property taxes. Depending on the value of your home and other qualifiers, the property tax reform through the expanded homestead exemption and lower school tax rate could reduce your property taxes by an average of 41.5% or about $1,300 per year for a $350,000 home. The median price of homes in our region is currently $284,000, according to realtor.com.
While this property tax relief is historic, we fell short in providing relief to the 32.5% of Hidalgo County residents who are renters. They deserve relief from skyrocketing rocketing rents as well, and more will be done next session to help renters.
Sincerely,
Bobby Guerra.
Editor's Note: The above guest column was penned by state Rep. R.D. 'Bobby' Guerra of McAllen, Texas. The column appears in The Rio Grande Guardian International News Service with the permission of the author. Guerra can be reached by email via: stephanie.chiarello@house.texas.gov.
