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Texans Vote For Property Tax Relief

ByGreg Ritchie

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

EAST TEXAS –  When lawmakers in Austin knew they had a multi-billion dollar budget windfall to spend, there was no shortage of ideas, lobbyists and proposals of how to spend the money. The Republicans who control the Austin decided to make some of them permanent in the form of constitutional amendments so they could not easily be voted out by future legislatures. 

There were 14 propositions on the ballots as Houston County residents came out to vote Tuesday, Nov. 7, along with the rest of the state. Houston County Election officials reported lower-than-average turnout – with no big-name local or national candidates on the ballot – but otherwise, no issues or problems to report. The votes are considered “unofficial” until certified. 

By far the one most talked about was proposition four, which will limit increases on property appraisals and would raise the homestead exemption from local school taxes from $40,000 to $100,000, estimated to save the average homeowner $1,200 per year. 

Here is a summary of how Houston County and Texans voted on the propositions:

Proposition 1 – PASSED 79%

  • Creating an amendment that would protect the right to engage in farming and ranching, designed to assist rural areas against suburban encroachment.

Houston County:

2,293 FOR

269 AGAINST

Proposition 2 – PASSED 65%

  • Allows local governments to lower property taxes for child care facilities.

Houston County:

1,454 FOR

1,033 AGAINST

Proposition 3 – PASSED 68%

  • Prohibit individual wealth or net worth tax.

Houston County:

2,033 FOR

464 AGAINST

Proposition 4 – PASSED 83%

  • $18 billion dollar exemptions to lower property taxes.

Houston County:

2,249 FOR

297 AGAINST

Proposition 5 – PASSED 66%

  • Texas university fund.

Houston County:

1,268 FOR

1,222 AGAINST

Proposition 6 – PASSED 78%

  • Texas water fund.

Houston County:

1,735 FOR

761 AGAINST

Proposition 7 – PASSED 65%

  • Texas energy fund.

Houston County:

1,596 FOR

903 AGAINST

Proposition 8 – PASSED 69%

  • Broadband infrastructure fund.

Houston County:

1,745 FOR

761 AGAINST

Proposition 9 – PASSED 84%

  • Cost of living increase for retired teachers.

Houston County:

2,081 FOR

461 AGAINST

Proposition 10 – PASSED 55%

  • Exempt medical or biomedical companies in Texas from property taxes on equipment and inventory.

Houston County:

1,359 FOR

1,121 AGAINST

Proposition 11 – PASSED 63%

  • Permit conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County.

Houston County:

1,238 FOR

1,140 AGAINST

Proposition 12 – PASSED 53%

  • Abolish position of county treasurer in Galveston County. 

Houston County:

1,110 FOR

1,197 AGAINST

Proposition 13 – NOT APPROVED 63%

  • Increase mandatory retirement age from 75 to 79 for state justices and judges. 

Houston County:

889 FOR

1,597 AGAINST

Proposition 14 – PASSED 77%

  • Creating a fund to create and improve state parks. 

Houston County:

1,735 FOR

765 AGAINST

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]

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