We were shocked Saturday to see this graf tucked away in a Chron editorial on Harris County property taxes:
Under state law, valuations for residences cannot be increased by more than 10 percent annually; on the other hand, in areas where home values have risen significantly over the past decade, a 10 percent increase in valuations has come to be viewed as almost automatic. This has fed an active cynicism among many homeowners that elected officials have conveniently been shielded from the onerous chore of voting to increase taxes by these seemingly automatic bumps in valuations dependably churned out every year by HCAD.
It’s as if the Chronicle‘s Caucasian Think Tank* has just now discovered appraisal creep, which became a big issue several years ago (not that a reader of the Chron editorial page ever would have known). Apparently that solitary mention was enough for them, though, as they quickly moved on to… well, we’re not quite sure, as the rest of the editorial just kind of rambles on with no clear thesis.
Nonetheless, we’re pleased to welcome the Chron‘s editorial board to the conversation about local property taxes, even if it’s a few years late.
* Cory Crow‘s fine name for the new Chronicle editorial board.
