Big Jolly Politics

politics in Harris County and Texas

Flashback to 2014: Remember how this Texas state lawmaker said he’d address rising property taxes in Fort Bend?

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After Fox 26 reporter Andrea Watkins interview with State Representative Rick Miller on Fort Bend County residents protesting their increasing property taxes in front of the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District —in which Miller reportedly said he’d  “put together a district advisory team to help him find solutions”—-some Fort Bend residents are quietly wondering what  “solutions” were found by the district advisory teams when they were formed over TWO years ago. Is promotion of these district advisory teams simply empty rhetoric designed to deceive and distract Fort Bend County residents from the REAL problem of taxpayer-supported lobbying in the County?

In March 2014 and announced BY State Representative Rick Miller himself, 16 District Advisory Teams were established within House District 26. One of the —ahem—“Advisory Teams” was supposedly focused on taxes and residential real estate (emphasis mine):

“Representative Rick Miller (Sugar Land) is announcing the creation of 16 District Advisory Teams (DATs) within House District 26. This new effort will focus on critical issues affecting House District 26 (HD 26) and the State of Texas, particularly Public & Higher Education, Elections, Veterans’ Affairs, Health Care, Mental Health Care, Insurance, Energy, Water, Small Business, Banking, Taxes, Public Safety, Public Governance, Transportation, Commercial Real Estate and Residential Real Estate.”

One might ask “what were the contributing factors of increasing residential real estate property taxes identified by the Taxes and Residential Real Estate teams” given that in 2014 the taxpayer-supported Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council claimed credit for passage of burdening property owners with repayment of $184.9 million in bond package debt.

Why else do some Fort Bend residents wonder if publicizing these District Advisory teams serve no purpose other than to hoodwink County residents into thinking their elected officials represent all Fort Bend County residents?

Because the same property tax protests—the same plugs for a District 26 Advisory team on Taxes were regurgitated again in June of 2015!!

In this June 2015 article titled “Rep. Miller to set up District 26 Tax Advisory team” the Fort Bend Independent reported on a group of Fort Bend County homeowners protesting their increasing property taxes:

“Last week a group of 1000+ Fort Bend County residents have protested what they believe to be high and arbitrary property taxes this year in front of the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District offices in Rosenberg.”

Furthermore the Fort Bend Independent reported the action State Representative Rick Miller planned to take:

“Texas State District 26 Rep. Rick Miller plans to address growing concerns about rising property taxes with a District 26 Advisory team on “tax issues” this fall.”

Horse-hockey.

And here again in 2016—for three years in a row now—- we read media accounts churning out the same tired and worn-out “District Advisory Team” nonsense from Rick Miller.

Taxpayer-supported lobbying, in part by the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council is a contributing factor resulting in Fort Bend County homeowners shouldering an ever greater percentage of the property tax burden in the County. Another factor is the crony handouts given by cities to businesses that don’t need them.

State Representative Rick Miller can disband his scam “Taxes” advisory team—he’s starting to sound like Crooked Hillary.

Fort Bend County homeowners are protesting outside the wrong building

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You can skip a few paragraphs ahead if you’ve watched the TV news accounts and read the blogs & online newspapers covering Fort Bend County homeowner frustration with arbitrary increases in home values and skyrocketing property tax bills.

Aaron Layman has been doing yeoman’s work covering what he characterizes as a “rigged system” favoring commercial property owners over at the Fort Bend CAD and a process that steamrolls homeowners. Oh boy is he spot on.

Most recently Andrea Watkins at Fox 26 included video of Fort Bend County homeowners protesting outside the office of the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District.

I’m here to tell everyone they are protesting outside the wrong building.

The City of Sugar Land fought hard to keep the papers hidden from public view but documents recently obtained from the City revealed opposing increases in the homestead exemption for Fort Bend County homeowners was a 2015 Legislative Priority of the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council.

Greed

(used in accordance with Creative Commons license)

Within the board meeting agendas and board meeting minutes provided in accordance with a letter ruling from the Open Records Division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office was a Draft Agenda of the Greater Fort Bend County Economic Development Council Legislative Priorities heading into the start of the 84th Legislative session.

GFBEDC 2015 Legislative Priorities

Section VI titled Tax Reform contains the damning priority (emphasis mine):

“Oppose increase in the Homestead Exemption or any other proposal that shifts burden to businesses”

So here’s a word for all the homeowners who showed up outside the Fort Bend County Appraisal District office to protest the arbitrary increases in your market & assessed values resulting in YUGE tax increases.

You’re protesting outside the wrong offices!!

Exit question: which Fort Bend County elected officials sit on the board of the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council?