If you’re tired of watching your property tax bill (or your rent!) climb every year, then you’re not alone. A new poll of registered voters in Texas shows that everyday Texans are fed up with runaway local government spending, debt, and taxes—and they want real tools to fight back.
To the problem, Texans overwhelmingly say property taxes are a “major burden” for their families (84%). That’s the highest mark since we began asking this question years ago. This widespread frustration has voters clamoring for bold, new state-level solutions.
One is to empower voters with the ability to call for tax cut elections. Three out of four Texans support changing state law so that citizens can initiate a referendum to force local governments to lower property taxes. This would give voters an avenue to reduce taxes on their own, without having to rely on local politician promises.
Another popular policy is limiting how much local governments can increase tax revenue each year. A supermajority of respondents (81%) said they would favor restricting property tax revenue growth to 2 percent or less, unless voters approve a bigger hike at the ballot box. This sort of change would slow the growth of tax bills, ease the strain on family budgets, and force local governments to be more judicious with taxpayer money.
Texans also want stronger guardrails on local finances. Strong majorities support requiring school districts to pass balanced budgets every year, putting clear limits on how much debt cities, counties, and schools can pile up, and making local governments undergo regular efficiency audits to cut waste. These aren’t radical ideas. They’re basic accountability measures that most families already use in their own households.
And finally, one that really gets to the root of the corrupt system. 86% of respondents oppose taxpayer-funded lobbying. They understandably do not want to see their tax dollars lining the pockets of lobbyists whose job is to push for more spending at the Capitol.
These poll results are encouraging because they prove conservative principles have broad, deep support across Texas. Voters aren’t just asking for less government. They’re demanding less waste, lower taxes, and more say in how their money is spent.
Despite record property tax cuts by the state over the last two legislative sessions, Texans are not feeling relief because local governments continue to raise tax rates, take on massive amounts of new debt, and spend recklessly. State lawmakers can counter these out-of-control governments by giving Texans new tools to rein them in.
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