How I Learned to Love Property Tax or Not
Tax, Tax, and oh by the way I am going to Tax you some more. Welcome back from your favorite deplorable. After you read this article, I hope you will decide enough is enough. Although I am a conservative, I think this article is applicable to both conservatives and liberals alike. Yes, you heard me right I am going to help you Democrats also.
In the last couple of months, I have heard Bandera County residence complain about their property taxes hundreds of times. Usually, these complaints were preceded by numerous flowery adjectives. And I must admit some were quite entertaining. But the cold hard facts are that property owners have carried the largest monetary burden of supporting the State of Texas since we became a State. Intrigued by many of the assertions of property tax owners I began my quest for the truth. After about 60 hours of research, I was amazed, no I was horrified on what I found. As I researched tax procedures and rates by the numerous taxing entities in numerous counties and the government agencies that are supposed to provide oversight the picture that emerged in my head is best described as greed, corruption, incompetence, self-serving bureaucrats and finally a total disregard for the hard-working prop erty owner. I became disgusted. I am sure that many of the taxing entities will dispute my comments and as citizens in a free country they have that right. But keep in mind I am not paid for my research. I receive no compensation for any of my work. Where on the other hand the taxing entities in all 254 counties need and want your money. Now to the facts.
Property taxes in one form or another have existed in the Texas since we became a State. Depending on which historical document you read property owners have paid between 50 and 75 percent of all operating and maintenance requirements. 47 percent of all roads and 20 percent of all bridges in Texas or county owned and maintained, that means the property owner pays for the maintenance and upkeep of these assets, these roads and bridges are used by everyone in and out of that State but you the property owner provide the majority of funds to maintain them. The property owner pays the salaries of all county employees, teachers, you pay for the school buses, you pay to build and maintain the school building and facilities. Effective this year the property owner picks up the tab for three meals each day for each child. Wait it gets better. In accordance with the Texas Constitution the property owner must pay for the education of all illegal alien’s children within the State. I could go on and on about a broken system that penalizes hard work ing individuals that want to leave a legacy to their children but, I am only allocated so much space for this article. As I did the research on residential property taxes the first word that came to my mind was SOCIALISUM. The property owner owns nothing, you are merely slave labor that serve at the convenience of elected officials, the ruling class.
You the property owner have picked up the tab since Texas became a State. All the taxing entities and your government say they have no choice but when they are asked to cut spending, they decline citing reason after reason, all of which are subjective. They tax to the maximum extent possible and continue to raise taxes each year. To what end I ask you? When will it stop, never? I am sure no one minds paying their fair share to support this great State. But the residential property owner has carried most of the burden for 176 years. I think it is time for all Texans to step forward and pay their fair share.
I hope I have got your blood boiling. What are you going to do about it? Well in this instance I have an answer for you. It seems as if the local conservatives have stood up a committee to research this vary issue and I am sure they could use the help.
Conrad Striegl is the Bandera County GOP Secretary and Bandera County precinct Chair 102. He resides in Pipe Creek.