SAMPLE PUBLIC SPEAKING SCRIPT/NEWSPAPER OP-ED - county



Hello, my name is [INSERT OFFICE/NAME].Let’s talk for just a moment about that property tax bill you received a couple of months ago and probably paid not too long ago.If you or your mortgage company is writing a check to the ________ County tax assessor-collector or _________County Appraisal District, that money must be going to the county, right?Well, the answer is actually NO. That bill is not from the county. It helps to fund city, county, and school operations (as well as special districts like utility and emergency services districts).I want to tell you the rest of the story, at least for our community. The county’s portion of that bill is probably your best buy at less than 17% of your total property tax bill. Our cities usually account for about 19 percent, and the rest goes to our schools. That’s a big ticket because the State legislature continues to fund less and less of the costs of public education. In fact, the latest state budget requires (let me say that again, R E Q U I R E S) a 13.7 percent increase in local school property taxes. Also, state per-student funding in Texas in 2015 was 16 percent lower than in 2008 when you adjust for inflation. And us property taxpayers picked up the tab. Between fiscal years 2017 and 2018, the state per-student funding in Texas dropped 1.5 percent after adjusting for inflation, and again, it was us property taxpayers who were left to cover the difference.But school’s not the only financial responsibility the Texas Legislature has pushed down to homeowners and small businesses here in _______________.The Texas Legislature may lack the authority to levy a property tax, but they definitely spend property tax revenue by mandating counties enact certain new policies or services. These mandates might be well-intended and even necessary, but they don’t come with funding, just a price tag. Politicians in Austin expect local property taxpayers to open their wallets for these, too. We refer to those new costs as unfunded mandates, and statewide, it’s costing property taxpayers billions of dollars.Right now, local officials like myself have no choice but to enact these unfunded mandates, and raise revenue through the property tax system to pay for them. We’re raising taxes on ourselves, our families, our neighbors… you!—and we’re not happy about having to do it.Take indigent defense costs, for example. You know “If you can’t afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you.” In the last 15 years, those costs have increased 171 percent statewide, and the state has reimbursed us for about twelve cents on the dollar. Last year, here in _______ County, we spent $____________ on indigent defense in all of our courts, and the state reimbursed $___________. That means you picked up that tab with your property taxes.We’ve also seen an increase in CPS (Child Protective Services) cases. Did you know the county pays for the attorneys in those cases, too? Attorneys are appointed to represent children and also parents in those cases who can’t afford representation. And those costs are also increasing statewide, from $35.6 million in 2011 to $45.6 million in 2016. Here in _________ County, we spent $__________ for court-appointed attorneys in CPS cases last year.A huge portion of the County’s budget goes to the County Jail. The state sets the standards, staffing ratios, training, inmate classifications and segregation, meals and nutrition standards, and safety measures for the jail, and all intensely monitored. The cost of inmate medical services alone is staggering. Our costs for inmate medical services last year was $________, and this year we’ve budgeted $___________. Counties routinely supplement State services offered here locally. For example, we also provide office space, equipment, and/or personnel for:Department of Public Safety troopers – office space, radar and radio equipment, administrative staff, office equipmentTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – office space, office equipment, staffAdult Probation (Community Supervision and Corrections Department) – office space, office equipmentDriver’s license offices (in some counties where DPS closed local offices)So, the Texas Legislature has been shifting the burden of paying for schools, their pet projects, and a variety programs and services all to local property taxpayers, yet, what you’re probably hearing most right now is state politicians claiming that they’re going to “rein in skyrocketing property taxes." Well, most of the county budget is considered state-mandated. In other words, we don’t have a lot of say in what we have to spend your tax dollars on. So, what can taxpayers do to help reduce or slow the growth of your local property taxes? The Legislature has the power to put an end to this cost shifting. In fact, the Texas House tried to end it last year. They called for a vote on a constitutional amendment to restrict the legislature from passing unfunded mandates on to cities and counties. The Senate, unfortunately, wouldn’t even considered it. (Hold up pushcard info here.)Tell your state leaders to support a constitutional amendment to stop unfunded state mandates. The governor recently came out in favor of legislation to end unfunded mandates, but a simple statute is something legislators will find ways around, so we must demand a constitutional amendment.(Turn over pushcard to postcard side.)Mail a postcard to the governor and lieutenant governor. Send them an email. When you have an opportunity to visit with your legislators while they’re out campaigning, let them know that real property tax reform includes constitutional?unfunded mandate protection. Tell them you want your say at the ballot box. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download