My opponent fought relief to taxpayers and opposed the changes I sought.

I have testified for three successive Legislative sessions for Texas to fund the 100% DV exemption so that Harker Heights Citizens could stop paying extra property taxes to provide services for all.

Last year, as Rep Hillary Hickland was working to get her bill through to expand reimbursement, I testified at House Ways & Means and Senate Finance that any reimbursement to the city must be counted as property tax revenue for purposes of calculating the voter approval rate, else the city would get a windfall of money and the taxpayers would be left with still too-high tax bills.

My opponent - the current Mayor - and the city manager lobbied against this. They wanted the payments not be to counted in the tax rate calculation to maximize benefit to the city.

This meant the taxpayers would see NO RELIEF. The city would get money and the taxes would remain the same.

So as my opponent says he “worked alongside” our legislators to pass this bill, know that he worked directly against getting relief to you.

Watch the video below. It is my testimony to House Ways & Means after the Mayor’s testimony. His testimony repeated the tired, false claims that the city is “losing money.” Hardly – we have more of it than any other city in Bell County, accumulated though unnecessary property tax increases.