County Approves Resolution In Support For Financial Relief For Hays County Taxpayers

Staff Reports

On Tuesday, the Hays County Commissioners approved a resolution in support of financial relief for Hays County Taxpayers.

More than 760,000 Texans statewide applied for unemployment in the month of March alone due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The resolution formally implored Governor Greg Abbott, Comptroller Glenn Hegar, the Texas Legislature and the Hays County Central Appraisal District to take all necessary action to provide any and all tax relief to the businesses and constituents of Hays County and the State of Texas during the pandemic.

The potential actions that may be taken but are not limited to in order to provide financial relief include the following:

• Granting an immediate, transparent public review of 2020 Appraisal Values in Hays County before July 25, 2020;
• Ensuring the right of citizens to a fair, transparent, and proper hearing process of property appraisal value protests with the Hays Central Appraisal District;
• Extending the deadline to pay all taxes;
• Granting a moratorium on property tax penalties and interest;
• Updating the Property Tax Code to allow for relief measures during Declared Disasters, including those of an economic nature;
• Calling a special legislative session to consider mandating reappraisals and revaluations of properties in light of the COVID 19 pandemic; modifying the Tax Code, Section 11.35 to specify that economic considerations can apply in temporary reappraisals; and, to codify in the Tax Code that Appraisal Districts can roll back appraised values to the lesser of the current or previous years valuations in times of federally declared disasters;
• Calling a special legislative session or taking appropriate executive action to consider and enact these and additional measures to ease the economic burdens and financial hardship Texans are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think the best thing we can do is do the best we can to come in at the effective rate as we can,” Commissioner Mark Jones said. “And do the best on our budget. The appraisals really don’t matter to us; it’s what we do as far as our rate.”

Commissioner Lon Shell said he felt it was appropriate for the state to hold a special legislative session on what might be done, although, he wasn’t sure what those options might be.

“I do think there are some things they can do not just involving property taxes but other state taxes,” Shell said. “And that anything they can do will be well received right now.”

Shell said Hays County is not the only taxing entity collecting property taxes, but the county will do whatever they can to provide what relief they can.

The resolution passed unanimously amongst the commissioners with a discussion on possibly bringing something back that will provide relief to those who need it.