SUGGESTED APPROACH TO ACHIEVE A HOMESTEAD TAX FREEZE FOR DISABLED AND OVER

In September 2003, eighty one percent (81%) of Texas voters added subsection (h), Section 1-b, Article V111 to the Texas Constitution. You can see the full text of this change at Subsection (h). It gives the governing body of the county, the city or town, or the junior college district the authority to freeze homestead tax for disabled and over-65 taxpayers. If the governing body of a taxing entity does not voluntarily freeze such tax, voters may take action to force an election.

As an alternative, on receipt of a petition signed by five percent (5%) of the registered voters of the county, the city or town, or the junior college district, the governing body of the county, the city or town, or the junior college district shall call an election to determine by majority vote whether to establish a tax limitation provided by this subsection.

If you would like to get homestead tax freeze for the disabled and over-65 taxpayers in your city and county, we suggest the following steps.

STEP NUMBER	DESCRIPTION OF STEP
ONE	Request the taxing entity (city, county, or junior college) freeze homestead tax for disabled and over-65 taxpayers. It would be good to have an organization or several organizations (e.g. Teachers organizations, a NARFE chapter, an AARP organization, etc) join in the request. Of course individuals can submit individual requests. See Sample Send a copy of the request or petition to each member of the tax entity governing body, e.g. each county commissioner, each city council person or equivalent, the mayor, and each trustee for a junior college. In your request or petition, ask that they advise you by a certain date (suggest 60 days) if they plan to place an item to freeze the tax on their agenda for consideration. Remind them that 81 percent of voters approved the Texas constitution, and they have the authority to can save taxpayers the cost of an election. After your request, personal contact with members of the city, county and junior college governing body is very important.
TWO	If the governing body of YOUR taxing entity does not freeze the homestead tax for disabled and over-65 taxpayers BASED ON YOUR REQUEST, you may choose to collect signatures of 5% of voters who are eligible to vote in that entity to force an election. For a sample petition form CLICK HERE. Feel free to use the sample petition, but you will need to adapt it to your situation. Please consider the following points
	1. The petition was prepared in Microsoft Word format. To make a copy to fit your situation, select and copy everything except the navigation bar. Then paste it to a blank Microsoft Word page. Go to page setup, and set left, right, top, and bottom margins to .5", and then select landscape printing.
	2. Type in the names of the taxing entity (see petition sample).
	3. Some taxing entities may want the voter certification number for each person who signs the petition. This is not necessary if you obtain the information required on the sample petition. See change to election code.
	4. If a city is located in more than one county, keep the petitions separate for each county.
	5. If you have trouble printing the petition, you may request assistance from the webmaster shown below. Provide the names of the taxing entities which you would like to have listed on the petition.
	6. Petitions must be submitted to the taxing entity within 180 days of the date the petition is signed.
	7. Obtain the number of registered voters for the taxing entity and multiply by 5% to determine the number of signatures you need on the petition. You can obtain the number of voters by contacting the County Voter Registrar or by contacting officials at the taxing entity. Obtain as many signatures as possible, but get more than the required 5% of registered voters since some of the signatures will probably not be accepted. If you don't live in Tarrant County, check with officials in your local taxing entity (city, county, county college).
	8. For a petition drive to be successful, you must have someone to coordinate the collection of signatures for each taxing entity.

Home	Agenda & Minutes	Contact Us
15 Cities & Other Links	Mission	Over 50 - Do You Know? If you have an item, submit it to the webmaster for inclusion here
Texas Homestead Property Tax Freeze
Background	Goals	Link to Freeze Status throughout Texas at TSHL
Petition Form	Sample Tax Freeze Request	Suggested Approach In Your City or County
Texas Constitution Change	Tax Petition Advise	Tax Relief Needed

THE TEXAS NORTHEAST TARRANT COUNTY SENIOR LEADERSHIP GROUP

SUGGESTED APPROACH TO ACHIEVE A HOMESTEAD TAX FREEZE