COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Just days after many people were supposed to file their taxes KAGS's William Johnson spoke with the Brazos County Democratic Party and the county's tax office about two divisive propositions on the ballot this May.
A long-time resident of College Station, Amy Alge has been paying property taxes for a while and with the growth, she says the cost of living has continued to rise.
“Personally, I’ve seen it increase but one of the things, my standpoint anyways, is I don’t mind paying property taxes," said Alge.
But on May 7, Alge said that could change with two state propositions on the ballot that both deal with lowering property taxes. Which, she said, will cause school districts to bear the cost.
“One of the most important things in this country is have an educated populous, so I’m happy to pay it if that’s where it goes," said Alge.
Proposition 1 would make adjustments to the ceilings or caps those who are 65 and over or are disabled pay on taxes.
Proposition 2, if passed, would decrease the amount of money homeowners pay on property taxes in relation to the market value of their property, if the owner has a homestead.
Kristeen Roe, Brazos County Tax Assessor-Collector, said with Proposition 2, the increase in how much a person could deduct from their property value could jump from $25,000 to $40,000.
“If it’s increased to $40,000 and your property is worth $100,000 we’re only gonna tax $60,000 worth of value so it’s automatically gonna be less," said Roe.
Roe said it’s important to understand the tax benefits before coming to a decision.
“If you have a house, not just a business, a home where you live, really look at them, consider whether it’s going to benefit you or not," said Roe.
But regardless of which position people take, Alge said it’s just important to remember there’s an election in May.
“Everyone should be looking at it because it’s going to impact all our lives in the future," said Alge.
Roe said if you'd like to see if you have a homestead on your property, go to brazostax.org.
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