Mayor Rawlings Says It’s Time for a Property Tax Cut in Dallas. We Agree 1000%

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Mayoral-Candidates-Homes-014.jpg Rawlings on Lennox Lane

Mayor Rawlings may be paying $53,513.78 in property taxes yikes!

In a refreshing move from the norm of most politicians, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings says property owners may be due a property tax break.

“I would love to look at a tax-rate adjustment,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings at last week’s council meeting.

Rawlings is hoping he has enough support to lower the tax rate, because higher taxable values could mean the city collects more revenue than it needs.

“We want to take as little money away from them and give them the services they want,” Rawlings said. “And that’s what these 15 people are going to try to do in the next three months.”

It’s a move realtors would like.

I think the Mayor meant to say “and STILL give them the services they want.” Because it seems that every time we turn around, the City has no money for this or for that. Also seems like they are not doing their due diligence on some deals, like awarding that 7  year, $450 million electricity contract to TXU Energy. So much didn’t pass the sniff test there: 

– inadequate time for Council members to reflect and research options.
-prepayment for 5 years of service for measly $1 million prepayment discount on a $450 million deal.
– no competitive bids were sought.
– principals of the City’s energy advisory firm are former execs with TXU, how cozy
– TXU’s parent is in bankruptcy after massive loan defaults.
– 6 City Council members were in their last vote before term-limit-forced exits.

So yeah, I think it’s pretty cruddy our City Council pulls this, says we’re broke, and reaps a 75% increase in property taxes because our values are up. Give us our money back!

Dallas, well, Texas, property tax rates are among the highest in the nation. Of course we don’t have a state income tax, so many just pass off a 2.74% per $1000 accessed value as, oh well, a necessary evil since we have no state income tax.

And then our values are going up, 8.8% in April 2015 over April 2014, so in essence, Dallas county is getting a huge property tax RAISE.

And we are paying for it. Did you property values go up? Are you paying more in taxes?

Rawlings is smart to know that unless we lower the tax rate to at least match what other communities are offering, Dallas will continue to lose as home buyers pick Lucas (2.09%) or Lewisville (2.19%) IF they can:

tax rates taxing jurisdictions
combined city school county city school county
Addison 2.51% .56% 1.28% .66% Addison Dallas ISD Dallas
Allen 2.50% .54% 1.64% .32% Anna Anna ISD Collin
Anna 2.51% .65% 1.54% .32% Allen Allen ISD Collin
Argyle 2.24% .40% 1.57% .27% Argyle Argyle ISD Denton
Arlington 2.64% .65% 1.35% .64% Arlington Arlington ISD Tarrant
Azle 2.51% .67% 1.20% .64% Azle Azle ISD Tarrant
Balch Springs 2.88% .80% 1.41% .66% Balch Springs Mesquite ISD Dallas
Bartonville 2.04% .19% 1.57% .27% Bartonville Argyle ISD Denton
Bedford 2.51% .49% 1.38% .64% Bedford Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Tarrant
Benbrook 2.62% .66% 1.32% .64% Benbrook Fort Worth ISD Tarrant
Burleson 2.92% .74% 1.54% .64% Burleson Burleson ISD Tarrant
Carrollton 2.58% .62% 1.30% .66% Carrollton Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Dallas
Cedar Hill 2.89% .70% 1.53% .66% Cedar Hill Cedar Hill ISD Dallas
Celina 2.60% .65% 1.64% .32% Celina Celina ISD Collin
Cockrell Hill 2.76% .81% 1.28% .66% Cockrell Hill Dallas ISD Dallas
Colleyville 2.32% .36% 1.32% .64% Colleyville Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Tarrant
Coppell 2.72% .61% 1.45% .66% Coppell Coppell ISD Dallas
Copper Canyon 2.56% .30% 1.48% .27% Copper Canyon Lewisville ISD Denton
Corinth 2.54% .59% 1.67% .27% Corinth1 Lake Dallas ISD Denton
Crowley 2.99% .70% 1.65% .64% Crowley Crowley ISD Tarrant
Dallas 2.74% .80% 1.28% .66%   Dallas Dallas ISD Dallas
Dalworthington Gardens 2.25% .26% 1.35% .64% Dalworthington Gardens Arlington ISD Tarrant
Denton 2.50% .69% 1.54% .29% Denton Denton ISD Denton
DeSoto 2.89% .76% 1.47% .66% DeSoto DeSoto ISD Dallas
Double Oak 1.97% .22% 1.48% .27% Double Oak Lewisville ISD Denton
Duncanville 2.83% .76% 1.41% .66% Duncanville Duncanville ISD Dallas
Euless 2.48% .47% 1.38% .64% Euless Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Tarrant
Fairview 2.24% .36% 1.56% .32% Fairview Lovejoy ISD Collin
Farmers Branch 2.57% .60% 1.30% .66% Farmers Branch Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Dallas
Flower Mound 2.19% .44% 1.48% .27% Flower Mound Lewisville ISD Denton
Fort Worth 2.82% .86% 1.32% .64% Fort Worth Fort Worth ISD Tarrant
Frisco 2.24% .46% 1.46% .32% Frisco Frisco ISD Collin
Garland 2.62% .70% 1.25% .66% Garland Garland ISD Dallas
Glenn Heights 2.93% .80% 1.47% .66% Glenn Heights DeSoto ISD Dallas
Grand Prairie 2.80% .67% 1.47% .66% Grand Prairie Grand Prairie ISD Dallas
Grapevine 2.29% .33% 1.32% .64% Grapevine Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Tarrant
Haltom City 2.78% .70% 1.44% .64% Haltom City Birdville ISD Tarrant
Heath 2.26% .43% 1.44% .40% Rockwall Rockwall ISD Rockwall
Hickory Creek 2.34% .40% 1.67% .27% Hickory Creek Lake Dallas ISD Denton
Highland Park 2.00% .22% 1.12% .66% Highland Park Highland Park ISD Dallas
Highland Village 2.32% .57% 1.48% .27% Highland Village Lewisville ISD Denton
Hurst 2.62% .61% 1.38% .64% Hurst Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Tarrant
Irving 2.69% .59% 1.44% .66% Irving Irving ISD Dallas
Keller 2.62% .44% 1.54% .64% Keller Keller ISD Tarrant
Lake Dallas 2.64% .70% 1.67% .27% Lake Dallas Lake Dallas ISD Denton
Lancaster 2.90% .87% 1.37% .66% Lancaster Lancaster ISD Dallas
Lewisville 2.19% .44% 1.48% .27% Lewisville Lewisville ISD Denton
Little Elm 2.48% .66% 1.54% .27% Little Elm Little Elm ISD Denton
Lucas 2.09% .32% 1.45% .32% Lucas Plano ISD Collin
Mansfield 2.88% .71% 1.53% .64% Mansfield Mansfield ISD Tarrant
McKinney 2.57% .58% 1.67% .32% McKinney McKinney ISD Collin
Melissa 2.47% .61% 1.54% .32% Melissa Melissa ISD Collin
Mesquite 2.71% .64% 1.41% .66% Mesquite Mesquite ISD Dallas
Murphy 2.31% .55% 1.45% .32% Murphy Plano ISD Collin
N Richland Hills 2.69% .61% 1.44% .64% N Richland Hills Birdville ISD Tarrant
Parker 2.12% .35% 1.45% .32% Parker Plano ISD Collin
Plano 2.25% .49% 1.45% .32% Plano Plano ISD Collin
Prosper 2.51% .52% 1.67% .32% Prosper Prosper ISD Collin
Richardson 2.64% .64% 1.34% .66% Richardson Richardson ISD Dallas
Richland Hills 2.60% .53% 1.44% .64% Richland Hills Birdville ISD Tarrant
River Oaks 2.89% .85% 1.40% .64% River Oaks Castleberry ISD Tarrant
Roanoke 2.10% .38% 1.45% .27% Roanoke Northwest ISD Denton
Rockwall 2.33% .50% 1.44% .40% Rockwall Rockwall ISD Rockwall
Rowlett 2.70% .79% 1.25% .66% Rowlett Garland ISD Dallas
Sachse 2.69% .77% 1.25% .66% Sachse Garland ISD Dallas
Saginaw 2.69% .51% 1.54% .64% Saginaw Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Tarrant
Southlake 2.50% .46% 1.40% .64% Southlake Carroll ISD Tarrant
Sunnyvale 2.48% .41% 1.41% .66% Sunnyvale Sunnyvale ISD Dallas
The Colony 2.42% .67% 1.48% .27% The Colony Lewisville ISD Denton
Trophy Club 2.77% .91% 1.45% .27% Trophy Club1 Northwest ISD Denton
University Park 2.05% .27% 1.12% .66% University Park Highland Park ISD Dallas
Watauga 2.67% .59% 1.44% .64% Watauga Birdville ISD Tarrant
Westlake 2.20% .16% 1.40% .64% Westlake Carroll ISD Tarrant
Wylie 2.84% .88% 1.64% .32% Wylie Wylie ISD Collin
1 City property tax rate includes Public Improvement District (PID) tax.
Note: The property tax rates shown above may vary depending on both which entities have taxing authority in the area where a property is located and the exemption(s) for which the owner of a property qualifies.
Sources: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Rockwall and Tarrant Central Appraisal Districts.
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Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

1 Comments

  1. David Morgan on July 1, 2015 at 7:47 am

    Political propaganda. It will never happen

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