When a state or municipality takes title to private property, the private property owner must be compensated for the property condemned by the government. The TexasConstitution calls for “adequate compensation” to be paid. At issue is what constitutes “adequate compensation” when private property in Texas is condemned by the State or a Texas municipality under the constitutional takings authority known as “eminent domain.”
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...