The May 4th election could raise your property taxes. There will be early voting and vote by mail. The election will decide whether Travis County property taxes are assessed fairly, or whether special interests will protect friends and business associates at our expense. To stop the special interest groups, I’m voting for Jett Hanna, Shenghao "Daniel" Wang, and Dick Lavine for the 3 elected members of the Travis County Appraisal District Board (TCAD). I urge you vote for them too.
If the special interest candidates win these elections, our Appraisal Review Board (ARB) may:
- protect those special interests with lower appraisals and lower taxes,
- raise property appraisals and taxes on regular property owners, and
- decrease the income to AISD and the City of Austin.
Here’s what’s at stake. State law (Senate Bill 2) requires 2 of the 3 elected TCAD board members to agree to any appointment to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB). The ARB is where a property owner goes to change their property appraisal and taxes. If special interests control those ARB seats, the ARB will lower their “friends’” property appraisals and taxes. As a result taxes on other property owners (you and me) will rise and overall taxes paid to AISD and the City of Austin will drop. If Jett Hanna, Shenghao "Daniel" Wang, and Dick Lavine win the TCAD board seats, they can stop special interests from putting their friends on the Appraisal Review Board.
Protect the tax base of AISD and City of Austin. Keep control of your property tax taxes. Vote for Jett Hanna, Shenghao "Daniel" Wang, and Dick Lavine for the elected TCAD board seats during early voting, vote by mail, or at the polls on May 4th.