NEW OP-ED: Republican County Commissioner Says Greg Abbott is Misleading Voters on Property Taxes

DALLAS, TX – In a new op-ed for The Dallas Morning News, Republican Johnson County Commissioner Rick Bailey – a lifelong conservative – is calling out career politician Greg Abbott over rising property tax rates, accusing the governor of intentionally misleading voters to get re-elected.

While Abbott campaigns on blaming counties and cities for rising property taxes, Bailey writes that the governor is conveniently ignoring the unfunded mandates handed down to local governments by the state, arguing:

“We’re required to pay for services like indigent legal defense and health care. In Johnson County, that costs us roughly $5 million a year – a fraction of which is reimbursed by the state.

That’s not reckless local spending. That’s county government fulfilling its obligations as required by law. Yet, Abbott would have Texans believe their property taxes are rising because local officials can’t control themselves.”

Bailey also argues that Abbott’s plan to further restrict local government’s ability to adjust property tax rates would ultimately endanger funding for critical services, writing:

“Financial obligations facing local governments don’t disappear because the governor signs a new law. Roads and bridges have to be maintained. Deputies need to patrol our neighborhoods. Ambulances have to arrive when somebody calls 911. Eventually, something has to give, especially in rural counties like ours that don’t collect sales tax.”

You can read Bailey’s full piece HERE and other key excerpts below:

“It’s unfortunate Abbott is misleading voters in his quest to stay in office. And frankly, we’ve seen this playbook before. With both data centers and Flock cameras, we’ve seen the governor reverse course amid public concern as an election grew closer. Now we’re being told to believe that local government is the reason why Texans are paying more in property taxes. At some point, Texans should ask why so many of the governor’s solutions seem to arrive when his name is on the ballot.”

“If the property tax system is broken, he’s had 12 years and Republican majorities in the legislature to fix it.”

“Every conservative like me should want lower property taxes. But there’s nothing conservative about the governor forcing costs onto local taxpayers and then making it harder for county and city governments to figure out the math.”

“Accountability is a two-way street. Texans deserve an honest conversation about property taxes and leaders who will tell them the truth about what services cost, who’s responsible for funding them, and what it will take to lower their tax bills.

That standard applies to county commissioners like me, and it should apply to the governor, too.”