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1. Jack Hatchell, Precinct 4 Commissioner from Plano, who passed away on June 28, served faithfully and honorably on the Commissioners Court for over 20 years, and over 30 total years in public service. We will not easily replace Jack’s wisdom and knowledge of the issues facing our county. We will miss Jack, a man of integrity and honor.
2. As has happened since the nation moved forward and prospered after George Washington refused both a crown and an unlimited term of office, Collin County must now move forward and prosper with those who will follow Jack in Precinct 4. I spent the 4th of July weekend coordinating with the precinct chairmen in Jack Hatchell’s precinct, and believed that a clear majority developed around a person who would have the support of the precinct chairmen. Therefore, I appointed Kathy Ward as Commissioner, Precinct 4, effective today, July 7. Kathy brings a solid conservative philosophy to the court and will prove a friend to the taxpayer. She is a proven campaigner, and as a serving commissioner, she brings all the enthusiasm and skills we need in order to retain this Republican seat in the November general election.
I am pleased that a majority of the Precinct 4 executive committee agreed with Kathy’s appointment and this evening named Kathy as the Republican nominee on the November ballot. I thank the chairmen for their vote of confidence in Kathy.
3. National media sources are recognizing Collin County as a great place to live and work.
Forbes magazine recently named Collin County the 14th best place in America to raise a Family. My quote to a reporter was that I am surprised that we are not rated higher than number 14. If you have not read the Forbes article, America’s Best Places to Raise a Family, you may read it at http://www.forbes.com/2008/06/27/schools-places-family-forbeslife-cx_zg_0630realestate_slide_8.html?thisSpeed=15000
CNNMoney recently named Plano as the best city in the nation in which to build personal wealth by measuring local salaries, the cost of living and unemployment. Secondary factors such as diversity of the local economy, residents’ education, percentage of population below poverty level and commute time were also considered. You may read the article at http://biz.yahoo.com/cnnm/080630/063008_personal_wealth.html?.v=2
Sincerely,
Keith
Citizens,
1. Farmersville celebrated the 84th anniversary of Audie Murphy’s birth on Saturday, June 21. Audie Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient, was the most decorated soldiers of WWII and one of the most famous soldiers in American history. Along with Audie Murphy’s memory, the city also honored veterans from every era during a parade around the town square and a ceremony held in the historic Onion Shed. It was a moving experience to watch veterans wipe tears from their eyes during patriotic songs, and then swell with pride as their individual branch of the Armed Services was recognized. It was a genuine celebration of freedom honoring the cost borne by our veterans to defend our freedom.
As we approach the 4th of July, Independence Day, our annual celebration, we will hear “freedom” frequently over the next few weeks.
Our freedom focus today tends to our concerns over the threat (and rise) of radical Islam, but we also need to keep close watch on the domestic issues addressed in our U.S. Constitution. Freedom can be lost not only by foreign threat, but also by concentrating too much power and money in our government. The Constitution is a wonderful document written by men who had first-hand experience with a too-powerful government. The Constitution is all about limited government.
As you consider your freedom over the next weeks, consider what Frederic Bastiat wrote in a period when France was turning to socialism, “Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.” This great fiction is NOT what our veterans fought and died for.
Freedom flies in your heart like an eagle.
Let it soar with the winds high above
Among the spirits of soldiers now sleeping,
Guard it with care and with love.
- Audie Murphy
Guard your freedom with care and love.
2. The Commissioners Court voted 3-2 today to institute a 5% homestead exemption with a $5,000 minimum during the next fiscal year that starts in October. This homestead exemption means that your county tax burden in real dollars should decrease, depending on your individual property appraisal. That is good news. One of my longtime primary goals has been to give you tax relief.
However, I preferred a more broad based tax relief through a tax rate decrease. A broad based tax rate decrease would give not only you, the homeowner, tax relief, but it would also give tax relief to the business that employs you. In this troubled time, we need to be encouraging all the employment that we can. I will continue to work through the budget process to include a tax rate decrease that will include tax relief for our businesses.
Sincerely,
Keith
For more information please visit my website: www.KeithSelf.com
Posted in UncategorizedTaxing the American Dream
I recently read an article regarding the property tax crisis in Texas. This article, titled Taxing the American Dream, was written by the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute (TCCRI). This week, with permission from TCCRI, I would like to share this article with you.
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While Congress works to bail out homeowners in the wake of the national mortgage crisis, homeowners continue to suffer under the crushing weight of a long‐standing property tax crisis. In fact, property taxes present a greater, longer‐standing threat to homeownership than the sub‐prime crisis.
In that context, House Speaker Tom Craddick (R‐Midland) appointed an Interim Committee on Property Tax Relief charged with “doing everything it can to provide meaningful and responsible property tax relief to those who are strained by the burden of soaring taxes.” The Committee is led by State Rep. John Otto (R‐Dayton) and State Rep. Ken Paxton (R‐McKinney), both of whom are committed to exploring ways to alleviate the pains of a tax that asks too much of Texans.
Statewide, total property taxes increased 111% from 1996‐2006. Since 2001, property tax bills have risen over 40 percent, statewide. This number is shocking when compared to increases in school enrollment (11 percent), prices of consumer goods (13 percent), and Texans’ personal income (14 percent), all in the same time period.
In the Houston area, property tax bills increased 47.13 percent from 2000 to 2006, when the Legislature forced school districts to lower their rates as part of the largest property tax rate cut in state history.
This problem is not confined to Texas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as reported by The Wall Street Journal on April 26, property tax collections nationwide have risen 62 percent since 2000, while median home values have risen 48 percent and personal income has risen 28 percent.
In the last three sessions, the Legislature has worked to make property taxes less burdensome. Yet despite more than $14 billion in legislatively appropriated property tax rate cuts in 2007, increases in local rates, appraisals, and bond debt continue to push property tax bills ever higher. In 2007, 115 school districts held tax rate elections to increase their tax rates from the cap of $1.04 to $1.17. On top of these rate increases, 197 school districts held bond issue elections in 2007, which issued at least $7.4 billion of new debt.
The problem, however, is much deeper than high tax bills. The property tax crisis is also a property rights crisis.
Property taxes are perpetual, abrogating the right to own property in the truest sense. If one must pay local taxing authorities every year, then property ownership is reduced to nothing more than a form of renting from the government.
The State Constitution gives government the power to seize property and evict its owners. Under Article 16, Section 50, homesteads are exempted from forced sale for the payment of debts, except, of course, for collection of past-due property taxes. Harris County conducted a tax sale as recently as May 6, selling properties that were seized for failure to pay property taxes.
Presley Sauls, an elderly Dallas man, lost his $36,000 home in early 2008 to a bank, for failure to make payment on a loan. However, Mr. Sauls had already paid his mortgage in full. His home was seized because he defaulted on a second loan, which he took out to pay his property taxes. The property tax forced Mr. Sauls into a situation from which he could not escape, at least not with his home. [See: “Fast Track to Foreclosure”, The Dallas Morning News, February 11, 2008].
The system is rigged against all property owners across the state, and it gets worse. The Texas Tax Code allows taxing units to “permit an individual who is at least 65 years of age to perform service for the taxing unit in lieu of paying [property] taxes.” This rings eerily similar to indentured servitude. [See: §31.035, Texas Tax Code].
The mortgage crisis is a temporary economic problem that will eventually right itself. Property taxes, on the other hand, threaten the viability of homeownership for many while abridging property rights for all. It is imperative that short-term relief be coupled with a long-term plan to eliminate this intolerable and unjust tax.
Get Involved
Each Interim, the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute hosts issue specific Task Forces that bring public and private sector participants together to address the most pressing issues before the state. One of our Task Forces for this Interim is the Property Tax Task Force. For more information, please contact TCCRI Task Force Director Brent Connett by email (brent@txccri.org) or by phone at 512-474-6042.
Posted in UncategorizedCitizens,
1. Please help me congratulate Commissioner Jack Hatchell, who just won the prestigious Pitstick Award at the North Central Texas Council of Governments annual general assembly. The Pitstick Award is given in recognition of an individual’s commitment to regional excellence, and Commissioner Hatchell richly deserved the award for his many years of service to Collin County and the region.
2. Tracy and I just returned from the Republican Party state convention in Houston. I was very encouraged by the conservatism that the grassroots delegates demonstrated - and voted - in election after election. The convention showed that in spite of the rapid rate of growth of local and state governments in Texas that you see, at least our grassroots understand the need for personal freedom, low taxes, personal property rights, and limited government. I was very encouraged, and I want you to be encouraged as well.
3. The county employees were recently asked for their input on an issue that will come before the Commissioners Court. In order to also gain your taxpayer perspective, I ask for your feedback on a request to include a 4,000-square-foot employee workout facility in the next expansion of the new courthouse. As I said before, I take the authority to tax 730,000 citizens very seriously and want transparency in the issues and decisions before the court. Thomas Jefferson, 1810, “No one more sincerely wishes the spread of information among mankind than I do, and none has greater confidence in its effect towards supporting free and good government.” I agree.
Please give me your thoughts at keith.self@collincountytx.gov
The court will soon hear the concept to build an employee workout facility in the courthouse that will eventually contain all our district courts and county courts at law. This is a secured building with limited entrance and exit points. As I said at the dedication of the new courthouse, this is the building where our citizens come to receive and administer justice, where the quality of construction and infrastructure speak to the importance of the business conducted therein. This is not a general business location - it will house the vast majority of our justice system when completed. Approximately 205 employees currently work in the new courthouse out of approximately 1700 total county employees. That means that 88% of our employees (approximately 1500 employees) would have to travel to the main courthouse in order to take advantage of the employee-only facility. Of course, employee-only showers and locker facilities may be necessary as well.
Whether or not the employees with specific health issues would take advantage of the workout facility remains a question. I hosted a day-long event, Get Fit with the Judge, at the Lifetime Fitness in Allen on October 27, 2007. About 20 employees attended; mostly healthcare employees. Throughout the day, we hosted a 5K run/walk, a workout with a personal trainer, a pool party, a kid’s bounce house, basketball, volleyball, and rock climbing. In spite of the fact that a full day of events was scheduled, a great special membership price was offered, and children’s events were included, only 20 employees, mostly from the sponsoring office, attended.
The expected companion idea has also emerged - if a workout facility is good, then other facilities would be just as good. Several recommendations to include a childcare facility in the courthouse have already been received. If we acted on every suggestion, conducting the judicial business of the county would be secondary, rather than the primary focus of the courthouse. You get the picture. It is difficult to know where to stop once you get started adding amenities.
There is no doubt that our county workforce would benefit from increased exercise. Specifically, diabetes and overweight issues could improve, hopefully decreasing our health costs and improving the health of our workforce.
This is one of those ideas that requires balance between our responsibility to encourage a healthy workforce and the principle that government not compete with local business. There are an increasing number of commercial facilities that could serve the same purpose. In fact, several of our cities have taxpayer funded facilities with which we could contract, much like we share local cable channels for government broadcasts.
I want to improve the health of our employees - that is why I hosted Get Fit with the Judge at Lifetime Fitness. However, I would like to develop a comprehensive approach to employee healthcare during the budget cycle which ends in September, rather than addressing a single facility out of cycle without a complete strategic view of how we plan to address the entire spectrum of employee health issues.
I value your feedback. This is not a clear issue on either principle or solution. What IS clear, as Ronald Reagan articulated in April 1981, “When I took the oath of office, I pledged loyalty to only one special interest group–”We the People.”" I look forward to hearing from you, the taxpayer. Please email me at keith.self@collincountytx.gov
4. I occasionally run across items that are so good that I have to share them with you. Congressman John Campbell’s Green Eyeshade Blog is one. He is doing at the congressional level what I am trying to do at county level by writing about the workings of our respective organizations. You may follow his writings at http://greeneyeshade.townhall.com/blog. The latest entry on climate change is priceless, and shows the devastating loss of jobs and economic growth under legislation being considered.
Sincerely,
Keith
Citizens,
Memorial Day is Monday.
A day of remembrance of those who have died in military service to our nation, Memorial Day has been observed for 138 years.
Memorial Day is always fresh because our freedom requires sacrifice from every generation. Today most of you reading this letter personally know an American who served or is serving in our Armed Forces, many in harm’s way today. Celina’s remembrance, for example, will honor Peter Burks, a hometown son who died in Iraq last year. This is not only history, this is also now.
I encourage you to include one of the many Collin County Memorial Day programs in your weekend plans. I, for one, will be participating in the McKinney Memorial Day program at the Pecan Grove Cemetery at 10:00 AM.
If you want to hear patriotic music and moving tributes to our fallen military by Congressmen Sam Johnson and Ralph Hall, see a flyover by an open cockpit WWII aircraft, and eat Texas barbeque, then you want to be at the Pecan Grove Cemetery on Monday, May 26 at 10:00 AM. Congressmen Johnson and Hall know a thing or two about serving our country in the Armed Forces during combat, and they remember – as we need to do.
Pecan Grove’s historic headstones reflect the presence of 203 veterans from conflicts of the 1800s - 1 from the Texas Revolution; 7 from the Mexican War and 195 from the Civil War (193 Confederate and 2 Union.) A Twentieth Century Flying Ace lies in this famous cemetery, General Royal Baker, who fought in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam.
Plan to attend one of the Collin County remembrance programs on Monday. Check out your own hometown. Honor the Americans who died for us.
Sincerely,
Keith
Citizens,
The constant drumbeat for higher taxes continues. Many regional and local government and quasi-government organizations are developing detailed plans to lobby the state legislature for higher taxes in several different areas: a new transit tax, higher sales tax, higher gas tax, higher property tax, and even a new hospital taxing district that I will discuss at the end of the blog. Even with the current state surplus, there seems to be no end to the appetite for higher taxes. This is not some far-away effort in Austin, it is right here in North Texas. As you watch media reports, you can see the outlines of the efforts to come next year during the legislative session.
I want to address a flawed idea that we see again and again as the tax-and-spend crowd tries to convince you that they need more of your hard-earned dollars. Time and time again, we read and hear the argument that all our new citizens who are moving to Collin County require greater services and therefore citizens who currently live here need to contribute more tax dollars to fund those greater services that our new citizens require. The tax-and-spend crowd never heard of Phil Gramm’s Dickie Flatt test.
What this argument does not bother to mention is that all our new citizens are paying property tax on the houses they buy, they are paying sales tax on the goods they buy, and they are paying fees for registering and inspecting their cars. They are paying their taxes, just as you are. More citizens are shouldering the tax load, so your tax burden should be able to stay steady, or even decrease. This is the beauty of a fast-growing area – we have more people to help us continue to provide you with the infrastructure that contributes to our excellent county in which to live and work.
We have the preliminary figures for the growth of our tax base this year. When the final figures come in, our tax base should grow by a healthy percentage – not the blowout 10.9% of last year, but still a healthy number.
If we can control the growth of government this year, we should be able to give you tax relief. Remember that slowing the growth of county government DOES NOT mean that we will have to CUT services. Even if county government grows more slowly, there will still be dollars available to fund the most pressing increases, such as in the cost of construction materials. And when you see the small amount of savings for you that the tax-and-spend crowd suggest when they discuss tax relief, remember what someone said once, “Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut save you thirty cents?”
I am also very concerned about a renewed effort to include Collin County in a new hospital district with Dallas County. This will do no more than force you, the Collin County taxpayer, to support Parkland Hospital with a new property tax. Dallas County citizens already pay a HIGHER TAX RATE JUST FOR PARKLAND HOSPITAL than you pay for your Collin County taxes. Let me say that in a different way. You pay 24.5 cents per hundred dollars in appraisal to Collin County. Dallas County citizens pay 25.4 cents per hundred dollars in appraisal just to support Parkland Hospital. Their county tax is over and above that Parkland tax.
Let me assure you, Collin County pays for treatment for our indigent citizens who receive treatment at Parkland, despite media reports to the contrary. I send a letter every month to the Dallas County Commissioners Court members detailing our payments.
Notwithstanding the uncertain national political scene, within the next year you may face a new hospital district tax, a new transit tax, higher gas tax, higher sales tax, and higher property tax.
And this is one reason why tax relief at county level is important.
This is why your vote matters. The people you elect are making these decisions.
Sincerely,
Keith
One other note on the 2009 legislative session. State Representative Ken Paxton, who represents McKinney, Frisco, Allen, and Prosper, has been named the Vice Chairman of the House Select Committee on Property Tax Relief and Appraisal Reform. This committee will directly study possible tax relief. Ken Paxton is a friend of taxpayers and I encourage you to watch as this committee’s work unfolds.
Posted in UncategorizedTexas Comptroller Susan Combs recently announced that during Memorial Day weekend (May 24 - 26), Texas shoppers will receive a break from state and local sales taxes when they purchase certain energy efficient appliances and other household equipment bearing an Energy Star label. In addition to paying no sales tax, shoppers will also save on their future utility bills. Energy Star qualified appliances are reported to use 10-50 percent less energy and water than standard models.
The Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday applies to the following appliances and household equipment:
Air conditioners priced less than $6,000; Ceiling fans; Dehumidifiers; Dishwashers; Incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs;
Programmable thermostats; Refrigerators priced less then $2,000; and Clothes washers (but not clothes dryers).
Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. To earn the Energy Star, a product must meet strict energy efficiency guidelines.
Complete details about the Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday are available on the Comptroller’s website at www.window.state.tx.us. Additional information about Energy Star products, including specific brands and models of qualifying appliances and household equipment, is available at www.energystar.gov.
Posted in UncategorizedHere are the results:
Mayor
Matt Lafata 1601 23%
Maher Maso 5359 77%
City Council Place 5
Tim Nelson 1991 38.33% *
John Newsome 496 9.55%
Antonio Luevano 263 5.06%
Bart Crowder 2444 47.05% *
* there will be a runoff between Tim Nelson and Bart Crowder *
City Council Place 6
Jim Tupper 1253 23.29%
Scott Johnson 3507 65.2%
Buddy Clark 371 6.9%
La Della Levy 248 4.61%
Late Night Referendum
For 3032 43.24%
Against 3980 56.76%
FISD School Board Place 4
Brenda Polk 3318 60.56%
Janet Maccubbin 2160 39.43%
FISD School Board Place 5
Jeremy Starritt 1649 33.7%
Richard Beaver 3244 66.3%
Posted in City PoliticsI found this website for voters concerned about values. I dont know how helpful it will be for you, but it is another resource to consider in becoming an informed voter. Check it out: http://www.valuesvoteonline.com/surveys/zipsearch.aspx
Posted in City Politics & Collin County & Denton County & Federal Politics & State PoliticsDallas Morning News article by Karin Shaw Anderson: Frisco school district considering 4-cent tax hike
Click here to read article on Dallas Morning News website.
Posted in City Politics
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