Summary of Senate Bill 2 (Texas)

Paul Pennington Addressing the Senate Committee on Property Tax

Paul Pennington Addressing the Senate Committee on Property Tax

  1. Capping the growth of tax rates for counties and cities from 8% to 3.5% with voter approval (smaller counties are exempted).
  2. School district tax rates are capped at 2.5%, again if it is exceeded voter approval is required.
  3. Creation of a Comptroller’s property tax advisory board.
  4. Increased mandatory training and education for Appraisal Review Board (ARB) members.
  5. Increased mandatory training of arbitrators.
  6. Each taxpayer (Consultant/CAD employee) attending an ARB hearing will be provided an ARB survey.  The results of these surveys will provided to the Comptroller who will issue an annual report summarizing the results.
  7. Term limits on ARB members (six years total).
  8. The local administrative judge will appoint the chairman and secretary of the ARB rather than the CAD BOD.
  9. ARB will note the subject of the matter for hearings.
  10. A taxpayer may request information to be used by CAD at their ARB hearing at no charge.
  11. The ARB may not raise a value over the notified value during a hearing.
  12. The ARB must deliver their written order determining protest within 30 days except for Harris County which is 45 days.
  13. Taxpayers and or agents may have up to 20 hearings heard per day by the ARB.
  14. CAD cannot use any other information other than the information previously provided to the taxpayer/agent 14 days before the hearing.
  15. No ARB hearings on Sunday.
  16. An ARB may not schedule a hearing to begin after 7 p.m.
  17. Nepotism reform for ARB members which reflects current law as it relates to CAD BOD members.