Press Release - Task Force on Appraisal Reform to Hold Hearings in Harlingen, Corpus Christi
The Task Force on Appraisal Reform will meet Wednesday, Oct. 18, in Harlingen and Thursday, Oct. 19, in Corpus Christi to take testimony on recommendations on how to address Texans' continuing concerns over skyrocketing property appraisals.
The hearings are part of a series of public hearings the task force is holding across the state to gather input from Texans on their recommendations to improve the current tax appraisal process.
The 15-member, bi-partisan task force was created by Gov. Rick Perry in August. He appointed Tom Pauken of Dallas to chair the advisory group. John David Franz of Hidalgo, near Harlingen, is serving as a member of the task force. The other members of the task force are Gerald "Buddy" Winn of Bryan, Robert A. Eckels of Harris County, Avis Wukasch of Georgetown, Calvin W. Stephens of Dallas, John E. Nichols of Freeport, Michael S. Stevens of Houston, John R. (Bob) Garrett of Tyler, L. Curtis Culwell of Garland, Timothy P. Roth of El Paso, Gary O. Boren of Lubbock, Robert E. Garrett of Amarillo, Brooke Leslie Rollins of Fort Worth and Rolando B. Pablos of San Antonio.
"Earlier this year, we provided Texas property owners with the largest property tax cut in state history - a 33 percent reduction in their school property tax rates over the next two years," Perry said. "Now we need to address the rest of that equation: the silent tax hikes of rising appraisals."
Perry wants the commission to develop its own independent recommendations while keeping the plight of the taxpaying public foremost on its mind.
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/press/pressreleases/PressRelease.2006-10-16.5523