The Collin County Observer

For about a week now, folks have been sending me an email urging me to be sure and protect our over 65 Homestead exemption.

The email message looks like this:

EVERYONE,

THIS IS AN EMAIL THAT ONE OF MY CLIENTS SENT TO ME. PLEASE BE AWARE
OF ANY UPCOMING VOTE WITH REGARD TO THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR
CITIZENS OVER 65 AND/OR DISABLED.

Homestead Tax Cap for 65 & Older:

You must vote in May to keep the Homestead tax cap for 65 and over, even if you are not 65 yet. If you are a Texas homeowner then this is important to you. If not, it is important to your friends who are. If you agree, please pass along to all on your email lists.

I am sending this email to everyone on my email address list who lives in Texas. I want to be sure you are aware of a constitutional amendment that will be on the ballot in the May election. It is an amendment to correct an error made by the lawmakers when they voted for a reduction in school property taxes in 2005.

When the lawmakers voted for a one-third reduction in school property taxes beginning in 2006 and to be completed this year, they forgot about the Homestead exemption for senior citizens and people with disabilities.

The state constitution caps school property taxes for homeowners 65 years and older and those who are disabled. However, they DID NOT get the same reduction when the property tax cut for schools was voted on two years ago.

So an amendment is on the May ballot to correct this error. The problem is that most voters who are younger than 65 or not disabled probably won't even notice the amendment or care.

PLEASE get out and vote for this amendment if not for yourself, then for your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends. We would really appreciate you getting the word out to all your friends and families to vote for this amendment. The fear is that with a low voter turnout, the amendment could very well not pass.

So, please, please pass the word and VOTE for the constitutional amendment.

Early voting will take place: April 30 - May 5 from 7 am to 7 PM;
May 6 from noon to 6 PM and
May 7 - May 8 from 7 am to 7 PM.
Election day is May 12.

It saddens me how little people know about their government. Let me set the matter straight.

There is no proposition on the ballot for Over 65 homestead exemptions. That was last year! This email is a year old...even the date for the election is wrong. This year Election Day is on May 10.

The Texas Legislature meets every other year. It did not meet this year, so no amendments could possibly be on your ballot.

Oh, and by the way, the amendment passed, but it only extended the exemption for the 2006 and 2007 tax years. So it has expired. In order to continue to preserve the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption, I assume you will see it again on the ballot in 2009.

This email will probably still be going around in time for the 2009 elections.

Bill