05/22/06		Response to It's a tax not values by Fred Hill, Letters to the Editor, Dallas Morning News
David Tuthill

As a great man said, "there he goes again" misdirecting attention to the fact that there are two components of your property tax bill. 

The first is the rate.  The second is the tax rate multiplied by the appraised value of your property.  The result is your tax bill.

If you want more money, without jiggling the rate up, then up the appraised value and a higher tax bill is the result.

If you ask either of the guilty parties (the taxing entity), be it city council, county government, school district., etc., they point to the appraisal districts.  We have not raised the rate you pay; the value has increased!.

If you bring this up with the Appraisal District, they point to the taxiing agency.  They set your rate.  It's not our fault.  We are just upping the value by any way we can. 

They point to each other as responsible when they have both had a hand in raising your tax bill.

I have a question of State Rep. Fred Hill (see his letter to the editor below).  When was the last time any taxing agency said Oh, the values have increased.  We must lower the rate for our citizens.  Taxing agencies never lower the tax rate.   Why didn't Fred Hill support the GOP non-binding referendum of a 5% cap approved this Spring by Republican primary voters, the people that Hill is suppose to represent?   

Taxing agencies would have to check their spending.  They can't live within even a 10% cap that is currently law! 

No more DISD golf trips and yacht trips, unlimited cell phone bills, etc.   We would not be able to fund the "hanging gardens of Woodall Rodgers", suspension bridges over the Trinity River, or Leo Chaney's $20,000 tribute to himself in Opportunity Park.  These are just a few of many other items recently in the news. 

With an appraisal cap, a part that FAILED to come out of the special session,  is the only way these entities would be FORCED to CONTROL themselves in their wanton spending.

It should be noted:

1) the recent reduction in school taxes were the result of the state being forced to resolve the issue before the Texas Supreme court did it for them, and

2) any savings this special session on school finance provided will very quickly be eaten up by the greater than 10% increase in your property values.

Perhaps State Rep Hill thinks after years of hearing about these problems in a week I will forget about it and open up my wallet for him and his cronies like a good taxpayer. Perhaps he thinks I can't do simple math either.

David W. Tuthill

Letters for Sunday Sunday, May 21, 2006 It's tax rates, not values State Rep. Fred Hill, District 112, Richardson

Re: "Appraisals are headed to homes in Rockwall ? And values are up, which means the same for your taxes," May 13 Metro.    This subheadline displays an ignorance of the way the property tax system works.    Values are not what make taxes rise. Tax rates make taxes rise. City and county taxes represent about 30 percent of a homeowner's tax bill. Because of the way the state once funded schools, school property taxes represent 60 to 70 percent. The Legislature addressed this by changing the way schools are funded, including a one-third reduction in school property taxes.    If you are concerned with this tax bill, you should be a regular visitor to city council, commissioners court and school board meetings. Property values are what they are. In a rising economy, they go up, which is good. Elected officials who hide behind rising values by not lowering the tax rate are not being honest with taxpayers.    The Legislature passed SB 18 to force elected bodies to reset tax rates when property values rise, hold two hearings and vote on any increase in the effective tax rate. It's up to voters to be vigilant and make sure they approve.