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Friday
November 20, 2009 Since 1922 |
Amendments in review
From staff reports
Baytown Sun Published October 31, 2009 Voters should take a look at Propositions 2 and 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot with an eye toward getting over the rumor that it will create a statewide property tax and realize that it actually is good for homeowners.
Lawmakers — including Sen. Tommy Williams, who wrote the Senate version of the measure, Sen. John Whitmire and Rep. Wayne Smith — said that the two propositions would help unify bring appraising methods and provide a more fair assessment of property values.
Proposition 2 is designed to eliminate the “best use” aspect of the current appraisal methods.
Under the current law, if a residence is in an area surrounded by businesses, it can be appraised as commercial property, thus often giving it a higher property value.
The proposition would ensure that if a building is occupied as a home, then it must be appraised as residential property.
Proposition 3 is designed to provide for more uniform standards of property appraisal, so that the same criteria is used statewide.
There are three other propositions that are noteworthy for Baytown and the surrounding area.
Proposition 11 also is of interest to home and landowners in the state. Although already in much of state law, the proposition would ban government from taking private property and giving it to a private developer in order to boost the local tax rate. Governments could still use eminent domain laws to seize property for public use or to reduce “urban blight.”
Proposition 4 would establish a set of Tier 1 research universities and would include the University of Houston. With only two public universities — The University of Texas and Texas A&M — and one private school — Rice University — as Tier 1 schools, the state lags behind many others in attracting the top teachers and is losing many top students because their simply isn’t enough class space to accommodate those students.
And for those who enjoy a day at the beach, Proposition 9 would make the Open Beaches Act a part of the state constitution. The primary purpose of this amendment would be to prevent legislators in the future from tampering with the act. If passed, any changes would have to go to the voters.
We think that these amendments would offer state residents more protection and greater educational opportunities.
The trick is going to be for voters to see past the rumors and then make the best choice for them when they go to the polls.
Baytown Sun Published October 31, 2009 Voters should take a look at Propositions 2 and 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot with an eye toward getting over the rumor that it will create a statewide property tax and realize that it actually is good for homeowners.
Lawmakers — including Sen. Tommy Williams, who wrote the Senate version of the measure, Sen. John Whitmire and Rep. Wayne Smith — said that the two propositions would help unify bring appraising methods and provide a more fair assessment of property values.
Proposition 2 is designed to eliminate the “best use” aspect of the current appraisal methods.
Under the current law, if a residence is in an area surrounded by businesses, it can be appraised as commercial property, thus often giving it a higher property value.
The proposition would ensure that if a building is occupied as a home, then it must be appraised as residential property.
Proposition 3 is designed to provide for more uniform standards of property appraisal, so that the same criteria is used statewide.
There are three other propositions that are noteworthy for Baytown and the surrounding area.
Proposition 11 also is of interest to home and landowners in the state. Although already in much of state law, the proposition would ban government from taking private property and giving it to a private developer in order to boost the local tax rate. Governments could still use eminent domain laws to seize property for public use or to reduce “urban blight.”
Proposition 4 would establish a set of Tier 1 research universities and would include the University of Houston. With only two public universities — The University of Texas and Texas A&M — and one private school — Rice University — as Tier 1 schools, the state lags behind many others in attracting the top teachers and is losing many top students because their simply isn’t enough class space to accommodate those students.
And for those who enjoy a day at the beach, Proposition 9 would make the Open Beaches Act a part of the state constitution. The primary purpose of this amendment would be to prevent legislators in the future from tampering with the act. If passed, any changes would have to go to the voters.
We think that these amendments would offer state residents more protection and greater educational opportunities.
The trick is going to be for voters to see past the rumors and then make the best choice for them when they go to the polls.