Paxton Bars 130 Texas Cities From Property Tax Hikes Under SB 1851
Updated
Updated · KFOX El Paso · May 14
Paxton Bars 130 Texas Cities From Property Tax Hikes Under SB 1851
13 articles · Updated · KFOX El Paso · May 14
More than 130 Texas cities, including Horizon City and San Elizario, were formally told they cannot raise property taxes above the no-new-revenue rate for the new fiscal year.
SB 1851 triggers that cap when cities fail state audit and financial-reporting requirements, and Paxton’s office said its statewide probe found those municipalities out of compliance.
More than 1,000 municipalities were asked for documents last month, and the attorney general said the current violation letters are only an initial round, with more cities still under review.
The enforcement action extends a 2025 transparency law tied to Texas’ broader push to restrain local property-tax growth; neither Horizon City nor San Elizario had publicly responded by Thursday afternoon.
Why are over 130 small Texas towns blocked from tax hikes while major cities like Houston and Dallas are not on the list?
Is a costly state-mandated audit a fair measure of fiscal health or an impossible hurdle for Texas's smallest towns?
Could a state mandate to control taxes inadvertently threaten essential services like police and fire protection in over 130 Texas communities?