State Rep. Jared Patterson shared a litany of state law changes as well as a heads up regarding upcoming ballot measure in Pilot Point on Sept. 25.
That included an amendment to fund the state's plan for water, an increasingly pressing issue in the face of nearly exponential growth in North Texas.
'You'll have an opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment this November that sets up a new fund to fund water that would put $20 million into that fund over the next 20 years or $1 million a year over the next 20 years,' he said.
He spoke of possible solutions that could fund, including improving aging infrastructure, the proposed but controversial Marvin Nichols Reservoir that draws 'Republican on Republican crime every session,' buying water from Arkansas, desalination and turning brackish water into drinking water.
Patterson went on to encourage the attendees to vote yes on all 17 of the state constitutional amendments proposed on the November ballot.
'These issues are things that have broad bipartisan support,' Patterson said. 'These are issues that are important to the state of Texas. These are issues that are going to be on your ballot. ... There are certain things that we have to send directly to the people that we as a Legislature can't do, things like increasing your homestead exemption, things like creating new funds for water infrastructure.'
Patterson spoke to the members and guests of the Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce at LizzyGator on Massey Road.
As he opened the discussion, he spoke about the process of the Legislature meeting.
'The [Texas] constitution prescribes that we meet for 140 days every other year,' Patterson said. '... The constitution actually says you can't pass any bills for the first 60 days, so the first 60 days is really about organizing ourselves.'
From there, thousands of bills are filed, debated, amended, killed or passed.
The budget approved in the regular session earlier in the year fulfills the constitutional requirements, Patterson said, but also focuses on projects the legislators felt were crucial.
In the budget, the state allocated $3.3 billion for border security through Operation Lone Star, but Patterson said that amount may not be needed because of increased federal focus on that issue.
Property tax relief was another, to the tune of $51 billion.
'Here's the deal about property taxes, y'all,' he said. 'A lot of people want to come out and tell you that they're going to completely eliminate property taxes or this, that or the other. Just ask how.'
Minimizing the bill property owners have to pay is an important goal, Patterson said, but with the state constitution preventing a state income tax and with the new ban on a capital gains tax, 'completely eliminating property tax is something that's just not based in reality,' Patterson said.
'No state has ever spent a larger percentage of their budget, regardless of how big or small, on property tax relief,' Patterson said.
If voters approve the constitutional amendment to increase the homestead exemption on the school district property taxes, that would be able to climb to $140,000 for most homeowners or to $200,000 for seniors.
'If you're a senior or disabled, you will pay no school property taxes on the first $200,000 of your home,' Patterson. 'And, I will also say that we combine that with something called tax compression.'
That means the state chips in to make up the difference 'to buy down the property tax rate and then cap it at the lower level,' Patterson said.
Businesses will also go from $2,500 for a similar exemption to $125,000.
'Our small businesses are now going to have some help getting a big property tax exemption,' Patterson said.
He also mentioned that the state has promised new funding to public school districts across the state.
'We put in $8.5 billion in new money,' he said. '... In Pilot Point, that equates to $1.7 million in new annual revenue for the school district.' ... That's brand new dollars that they can use for various purposes.'
