TAXING MATTERS
CHERYL E. JOHNSON, PCC
Galveston County Tax Assessor Collector
& Voter Registrar
[email protected]
Don’t Wait Until the
LOVE LETTER ARRIVES!
The June Momentum issue entitled “Time to
Weigh in on Texas Taxes” provided great
information about the assessment phase of
the Texas tax calendar. Recall, assessment
is the process of tax assessors calculating,
local governments proposing and adopting tax rates,
a tax roll being created and a tax bill being mailed. By
the time the bill arrives, both the equalization/protest
process and assessment processes have passed and it
is too late to do much more than complain.
The questions some politicians may ask are: “Why
didn’t you protest the value or show up for tax rate
or budget hearings? Why didn’t you send an email
or call?” The
response by
those of us in
the County
Tax Office will
be is, “Gee, I
am so sorry. I
understand.
The amount
due is $xxxx –
would you like
to pay in full
or participate
in one of our
payment options?” You see, it is simply too late (unless
there is an obvious error) to change the bottom line.
You will hear that the Legislature promised lower taxes
(it did – school district tax rates are at an ALL TIME low
and the State has bellied up to the table to pay their fair
share). You will also hear that the Legislature made the
process more transparent than ever before (it did).
Indeed, this year – the burden is yours and, as has
always been the case, the responsibility is yours. It is
YOUR responsibility to protest the value. It is YOUR
responsibility to show up and voice your opinion at
government hearings – or, this year for the first time - to
take advantage of the opportunity on the County Tax
Office website (www.galcotax.com under the Truth in
Taxation link) to obtain the names, email mail address
and telephone number of EVERY elected official in
30 MOMENTUM
the county. It is YOUR responsibility to visit the county
appraisal district website RIGHT NOW (in Galveston
galvestoncad.org under the Truth in Taxation link and in
Harris County harrispropertytaxes.org) to see how much
the taxes are proposed to be and send input – right from
those CAD sites – to the official contact for each and
every government.
Why, you ask, is the bill so high? The Legislature
lowered spending limits and established automatic
elections if exceeded. The answer is the values
increased (and many governments did increase rates).
Take a look at the Galveston County values over the last
five years. (Chart)
YEAR TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE INCREASE OVER PRIOR YEAR
2016 $25,883,105,838 Base for this example
2017 $27,578,633,004 6.6%
2018 $28,390,117,665 2.9%
2019 $30,457,356,934 7.3%
2020 $34,056,352,975 11.8%
Yes – values in 2020 increased 11.8% overall and
very few of you protested that increase. Yes, there was
$671,060,341 in new value added to the appraisal
roll. That means the values increased 9.6% on existing
properties. No – that doesn’t make you feel any better.
But I will tell you what will – get it off your chest now.
Visit the CAD “tax transparency” websites and make
your voice heard. And, when you vote in the November
election – take time to go to the VERY BOTTOM of
every ballot – there are bond elections and sales tax
ratifications and local government seats up for grabs.
Hate taxes – vote against the tax increases and support
people who share your opinion.
My opinion? It isn’t their money – it is YOURS! The
time is NOW to have a say in keeping it in your pocket.
Weigh in before it’s too late.