LOWER PROPERTY TAXES
TAXPAYER RELIEF
When the school district needs to fund another bond, that money can only come one place, you, the taxpayer. We don't have a money problem in Montgomery ISD, we have a spending problem. There is another bond coming this year. While the current school board comments regularly on the lack of funding, they have been recklessly spending our hard earned tax dollars. The new $80,000,000 Ag and Science Center is a good example of this. It is not connected to a school, won't benefit every child, and could have been scaled down significantly. Please take a drive on the north side of Montgomery and see for yourselves how they have spent our money with no regard for cost. Just because we can do it, doesn't mean we should. We don't have to have every bell and whistle to provide a great education for the children in our district. Even though bond money can't be used for teacher raises, lowering the I&S side would allow us to use current taxes to fund M&O, where teacher compensation comes from, without raising taxes further. Let me level with you, I don't have a large business, fancy house, and I only own one vehicle. Current board members cannot empathize with many of you who are having to pay these tax increases. I can, and I will fight to see lower property taxes, and to see that money that is spent, is spent wisely.
I cannot do this alone. Turnout for these elections is incredibly low. Participation in board meetings is also incredibly low. This is the reason we are where we are. The biggest portion of your property tax bill is the Montgomery school district. The board sets the tax rate AFTER the appraisal district provides their report to them. Even if they lower the tax rate, that doesn't mean they are lowering your taxes if your property values are going up. Again, they know BEFORE they set the tax rate, if your property values have gone up. The school board is 100% responsible for higher property taxes set by the district. If a candidate tells you they aren't responsible for how high your property taxes are, the aren't telling the truth. I will advocate for a "no new revenue" tax rate at a minimum, and if the state does provide additional funding as is forecast this year, I will fight for a reduction in property taxes. NO current board member has done this and no candidate in this race is committed to this except for me. I will fight for you.