Cities and counties oppose using “possession, occupation, and enjoyment” because it would lead courts to stop the practices that the cities and counties want to continue: using eminent domain to take property from one property owner and give it to another to enhance local government tax revenue.
Small Towns, Big Tax Increases
The city of Whitesboro ignited a firestorm recently when officials suggested adopting a tax rate that would have skyrocketed the average homeowner’s property tax bill by 61 percent. The initial public hearing to discuss the matter drew hordes of angry Whitesboro residents who voiced their discontent. So much so, in fact, that city councilmembers tabled...