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Texans Vote on Property Tax Amendments Expanding Homestead Exemptions

The measures would enshrine larger exemptions in the state constitution, making future revisions more difficult.

Overview

  • Proposition 13 would raise the mandatory school homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, a change that CBS reports would affect about 5.7 million homeowners and take effect this year if approved.
  • Proposition 11 concerns elderly and disabled homeowners, with the Secretary of State describing it as authorizing the legislature to increase their school-tax exemption, while reports differ on the exact amount.
  • CBS reports Prop 11 as raising the exemption for people over 65 and the disabled to $200,000 and affecting roughly two million seniors, whereas KXAN describes an increase from $10,000 to $60,000.
  • Sen. Paul Bettencourt’s office projects average annual savings of about $484 for 5.7 million homeowners, $907 for more than two million seniors, and $2,500 for small businesses.
  • Opponents warn the two measures could reduce school revenue by roughly $3 billion, while proponents say the state’s budget surplus could be used to offset district losses.