Voters to decide Homestead Property Tax Exemption on November ballot

ELLIS COUNTY – The Texas Increase Homestead Property Tax Exemption Amendment will be on the ballot in November.

A “yes” vote means you support amending the state’s constitution to not only increase the homestead tax exemption from $40,000 to $100,000, but also to authorize the state legislature to limit the annual appraisal increase on non-homestead real property. 

The latter, however, does exclude appropriations made to increase state education funding from the state appropriations limit; and it authorizes the state legislature to provide for four-year terms for members of the governing body of an appraisal entity in counties with a population of 75,000 or more.

Ellis County resident Terry Murphy said, “If all this money is going to the schools, why don’t they pay the teachers more money? Where is all the money going, I don’t see it? “I don’t have children, why do residents with no children have to pay the taxes for children in school?”

Murphy said he believed, “There should be exemptions for homeowners on their property tax for those who do not have school age children in the ISD, these families are not taking advantage of the school benefits like laptops, transportation, school lunches, books, etc.…”

Add to that Kathy Rodrigue, Ellis County’s Appraisal District Chief Appraiser who said, “The constitutional amendment is certain to pass as we would all like to have a $100,000 ISD exemption instead of the $40,000 we currently receive.  

“We just hope everyone who is eligible for a homestead exemption has filed, as there are certainly benefits to having this exemption.” 

Election date is Nov. 7, and this item will be on the State of Texas Election ballot.