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What are Texans going to do about property taxes?

2,337 Views | 24 Replies | Last: 9 days ago by woodiewood1
Queso1
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6:36p, 9/30/26
AG
This has really gotten out of control. From school districts getting fancy administration buildings to unnecessary City Halls, we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.

Our city council members are supposed to represent their constituents. I don't feel represented. I would venture a guess that most in our community don't feel represented.

The People have been clear on their property tax concerns. The GOP tosses us the rate cap…all the while knowing that valuation was an easy end-around. The democrats never saw a tax they didn't love.

It's a common saying that we are renting our land from the state. This is so true. What are the political options?
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RafterAg223
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6:48p, 9/30/26
AG
We need excess general funds around here so we can achieve AAA bond ratings and make sure not to miss out on the next Macy's purchase. The mayor, city manager, and a couple council members kept repeating this at the budget approval council meeting in late August. They made it clear that they don't care about real kitchen table issues with their constituents. The city manager should probably have thought about vacating his post after the Macy's debacle.
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Bunk Moreland
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7:40p, 9/30/26
I feel pretty represented. College Station has for years been a fake city. A population with no identity outside of the University. It's time we grow up because the population growth isn't going to stop. We needed a nice City Hall. We still have no central area for commerce, the shopping, while improving, is still not good enough to keep people from heading to the Woodlands Mall, the local mall is an absolute joke.

The last 5-7 years have been the best 5-7 years of this town's history because enough people are getting in a position to actually try to embrace the growth.

Multiple misteps along the way. And I think a lot of that has been the conflict of too many academics in key positions combined with too many who still enjoy the good Ole boy club days in other positions of power.

I see progress and brighter things almost every day for our city. But massive change takes time and investment. I'm fine with my property taxes increasing to support that so long as it's done responsibly and we have the right people in charge to direct where that money goes to and what we attract to come into our city.

Bob Yancy is about to become mayor. Changes are happening right in front of your eyes.

Trust me, there's so much worse out there. Our problems with public leaders and taxes are extremely minimal when you compare it to other areas.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to RafterAg223 • 7:41p, 9/30/26
Didn't he get a raise?
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PS3D
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In reply to Queso1 • 7:44p, 9/30/26
Queso1 said:
This has really gotten out of control. From school districts getting fancy administration buildings to unnecessary City Halls, we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.


City hall was small and in need of a major renovation. I'm sure you think that City Hall should be in a building that hasn't seen renovations since it was built sixty years ago and firefighters should be happy to operate out of a building made of corrugated metal with no heating or cooling, but I don't think that view is shared by the majority.
Curator of [url=http://csroadsandretail.blogspot.com/]Brazos Buildings & Businesses[/url], the area's premier local history site.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to Bunk Moreland • 7:45p, 9/30/26
We didn't need a City Hall where they built it. It should be by the police station.

They could have sold that property on Texas for a huge profit and had a hotel come in right there. But no, they needed to be conveniently located to all citizens right in the middle of **checks map** the extreme north end of the city, half a mile from the Bryan city limit.

Being seen across from the big school was more important.

The city hall location and old fire station location would have sold at a hefty price.
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FlyRod
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7:47p, 9/30/26
It's a view shared by those who believe the best times of BCS were the mid 1950s to mid 1960s. Yup we've grown and will keep growing and adjustments will happen.
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RafterAg223
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In reply to PS3D • 8:23p, 9/30/26
AG
PS3D said:
Queso1 said:
This has really gotten out of control. From school districts getting fancy administration buildings to unnecessary City Halls, we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.


City hall was small and in need of a major renovation. I'm sure you think that City Hall should be in a building that hasn't seen renovations since it was built sixty years ago and firefighters should be happy to operate out of a building made of corrugated metal with no heating or cooling, but I don't think that view is shared by the majority.


I agree that city hall needed to be built. I also know that the city could have built it on other land they own around town while selling that prime development land they currently occupy. They could have put that property on the tax rolls while potentially attracting new development around a city hall in a different location much like Sugar Land, Southlake and others.
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Bunk Moreland
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In reply to maroon barchetta • 8:23p, 9/30/26
Fair enough point, but I am not opposed to them choosing a prominent place for it. That's also moving the football a bit from the vast majority of the complaints we get on here, which was the perceived lavishness of the building itself. Again, we have no major center of commerce. If we did, we all know where city hall would be and then nobody would be whining because it would just make sense for it to be there.

The alternative (only considering cheap land) quickly leads to municipal/county properties being built on land owned by friendly people of those in power which has also happened around here in the not so distant past.
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Aggie_Fire
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In reply to RafterAg223 • 8:41p, 9/30/26
AG
RafterAg223 said:
PS3D said:
Queso1 said:
This has really gotten out of control. From school districts getting fancy administration buildings to unnecessary City Halls, we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.


City hall was small and in need of a major renovation. I'm sure you think that City Hall should be in a building that hasn't seen renovations since it was built sixty years ago and firefighters should be happy to operate out of a building made of corrugated metal with no heating or cooling, but I don't think that view is shared by the majority.


I agree that city hall needed to be built. I also know that the city could have built it on other land they own around town while selling that prime development land they currently occupy. They could have put that property on the tax rolls while potentially attracting new development around a city hall in a different location much like Sugar Land, Southlake and others.

I do no think that land is worth as much as you think! Have you seen the businesses nearby? The run down shopping centers across from the University in that area? LOL

Look at the shops on Walton Dr. Denny's. The La Quinta. On the Border (gone). Las Palapas (gone). 2 empty parking lots in front of Best Buy that sent empty that could be prime real estate for restaurants. Oh and an empty lot next to Whataburger!

Edit: Based on your post, City hall there should have helped the property around it grow in value and use, but it hasn't.

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RafterAg223
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In reply to Aggie_Fire • 9:14p, 9/30/26
AG
Aggie_Fire said:
RafterAg223 said:
PS3D said:
Queso1 said:
This has really gotten out of control. From school districts getting fancy administration buildings to unnecessary City Halls, we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.


City hall was small and in need of a major renovation. I'm sure you think that City Hall should be in a building that hasn't seen renovations since it was built sixty years ago and firefighters should be happy to operate out of a building made of corrugated metal with no heating or cooling, but I don't think that view is shared by the majority.


I agree that city hall needed to be built. I also know that the city could have built it on other land they own around town while selling that prime development land they currently occupy. They could have put that property on the tax rolls while potentially attracting new development around a city hall in a different location much like Sugar Land, Southlake and others.

I do no think that land is worth as much as you think! Have you seen the businesses nearby? The run down shopping centers across from the University in that area? LOL

Look at the shops on Walton Dr. Denny's. The La Quinta. On the Border (gone). Las Palapas (gone). 2 empty parking lots in front of Best Buy that sent empty that could be prime real estate for restaurants. Oh and an empty lot next to Whataburger!

Edit: Based on your post, City hall there should have helped the property around it grow in value and use, but it hasn't.


Go ahead and laugh all you want. I've worked in that field for over 20 years in this town, and I feel like I have a better than average feel for what people would have paid for that piece of dirt had a request for bids or proposals been issued on it. It may not have worked, but I think a city that is being fiscally responsible and upholding its fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers like myself, should have at least explored this on this tract as well as the fire station corner.
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metroid_84
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12:04a, 10/1/26
I remain very unconvinced that the school districts or the cities are really wasting money on capital improvements. I suspect that much larger amounts of the taxes I pay go towards personnel costs like salary and benefits which are constantly increasing with inflation and as the standard of living increases in Texas, and the more employees you have, the more employees you need to do all the secondary paper-pushing, dotting of the 'i's and making sure every pencil is bought from the correct vendor.

Maybe I'm wrong, and someone can show me how I'm wrong, and its all driven by capital projects like buildings and acquisitions, but knowing a little what drives up the cost of running a university like A&M, I suspect its hard for the cities and the school districts just keeping everyone paid so they don't run off to another city or another school district.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to metroid_84 • 7:15a, 10/1/26
metroid_84 said:
I remain very unconvinced that the school districts or the cities are really wasting money on capital improvements. I suspect that much larger amounts of the taxes I pay go towards personnel costs like salary and benefits which are constantly increasing with inflation and as the standard of living increases in Texas, and the more employees you have, the more employees you need to do all the secondary paper-pushing, dotting of the 'i's and making sure every pencil is bought from the correct vendor.

Maybe I'm wrong, and someone can show me how I'm wrong, and its all driven by capital projects like buildings and acquisitions, but knowing a little what drives up the cost of running a university like A&M, I suspect its hard for the cities and the school districts just keeping everyone paid so they don't run off to another city or another school district.


I show you how you are wrong.

The manager of a 100,000 population city makes a far larger salary than the judge of a county who has a a budget in the billions, a massive port, is the energy sector capital, and the county population is 3-4 million people.
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hopeandrealchange
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In reply to metroid_84 • 7:37a, 10/1/26
metroid_84 said:
I remain very unconvinced that the school districts or the cities are really wasting money on capital improvements. I suspect that much larger amounts of the taxes I pay go towards personnel costs like salary and benefits which are constantly increasing with inflation and as the standard of living increases in Texas, and the more employees you have, the more employees you need to do all the secondary paper-pushing, dotting of the 'i's and making sure every pencil is bought from the correct vendor.

Maybe I'm wrong, and someone can show me how I'm wrong, and its all driven by capital projects like buildings and acquisitions, but knowing a little what drives up the cost of running a university like A&M, I suspect its hard for the cities and the school districts just keeping everyone paid so they don't run off to another city or another school district.


I agree to a point with this statement. In my opinion the problem is it never stops. The inflation continues and salaries have to increase so taxes have to increase. It's a vicious cycle. All the while the private sector takes it in the shorts. At some point it will all come tumbling down.
I look at three numbers.
The national debt.
The portion of the national debt per tax payer.
The average net worth of the tax payers.
It becomes real clear real fast this system of ours is going to come tumbling down at some point.
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BrazosWifi
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8:17a, 10/1/26
My take on how we can offer those that need the relief the most:



It's not a magic bullet but it does help retirees and new families the most.
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Carnwellag2
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In reply to Queso1 • 10:43a, 10/1/26
Queso1 said:
This has really gotten out of control. From school districts getting fancy administration buildings to unnecessary City Halls, we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.

Our city council members are supposed to represent their constituents. I don't feel represented. I would venture a guess that most in our community don't feel represented.

The People have been clear on their property tax concerns. The GOP tosses us the rate cap…all the while knowing that valuation was an easy end-around. The democrats never saw a tax they didn't love.

It's a common saying that we are renting our land from the state. This is so true. What are the political options?

the answer is to freeze property valuation at time of Purchase.
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Queso1
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In reply to Carnwellag2 • 12:08p, 10/1/26
AG
I like this. Any state wide candidates proposing this?
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jimbo457
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1:33p, 10/1/26
The city buying property to build a city hall (This is financially irresponsible, the city already owns land!)
The city building a much needed city hall right where the old city hall was, and on property already owned by the city (This is financially irresponsible, the city should have bought some super inexpensive property way out in BFE and sold that for a handsome sum!!!)

Good grief, you just can't win, at least not on TexAgs.
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to jimbo457 • 1:47p, 10/1/26
Or they could have used city owned property that was by the police station.
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MyNameIsJeff
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In reply to maroon barchetta • 2:14p, 10/1/26
AG
This makes the most sense since so many other city facilities are already along Krenek Tap. Then they doubled down and spent even more millions renovating the visitor center or whatever it is in front of the new city hall. I still don't even really know what purpose that building serves.
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RafterAg223
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In reply to jimbo457 • 3:05p, 10/1/26
AG
jimbo457 said:
The city buying property to build a city hall (This is financially irresponsible, the city already owns land!)
The city building a much needed city hall right where the old city hall was, and on property already owned by the city (This is financially irresponsible, the city should have bought some super inexpensive property way out in BFE and sold that for a handsome sum!!!)

Good grief, you just can't win, at least not on TexAgs.

Apparently there isn't much reading comprehension being practiced on TexAgs either. No one on this thread advocated for buying another piece of property. It was suggested that they should have looked at what they could have gotten for the current property and put it on the tax rolls while building a new city hall next to the police station on land they already owned.
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CS78
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In reply to MyNameIsJeff • 5:02p, 10/1/26
MyNameIsJeff said:
Then they doubled down and spent even more millions renovating the visitor center or whatever it is in front of the new city hall. I still don't even really know what purpose that building serves.

Dont forget the selfie sign. Seeing it helps me to feel extra proud of my community, while I struggle to pay property taxes.
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woodiewood1
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In reply to Aggie_Fire • 6:42a, 10/2/26
Aggie_Fire said:
RafterAg223 said:
PS3D said:
Queso1 said:
This has really gotten out of control. From school districts getting fancy administration buildings to unnecessary City Halls, we don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.


City hall was small and in need of a major renovation. I'm sure you think that City Hall should be in a building that hasn't seen renovations since it was built sixty years ago and firefighters should be happy to operate out of a building made of corrugated metal with no heating or cooling, but I don't think that view is shared by the majority.


I agree that city hall needed to be built. I also know that the city could have built it on other land they own around town while selling that prime development land they currently occupy. They could have put that property on the tax rolls while potentially attracting new development around a city hall in a different location much like Sugar Land, Southlake and others.

I do no think that land is worth as much as you think! Have you seen the businesses nearby? The run down shopping centers across from the University in that area? LOL

Look at the shops on Walton Dr. Denny's. The La Quinta. On the Border (gone). Las Palapas (gone). 2 empty parking lots in front of Best Buy that sent empty that could be prime real estate for restaurants. Oh and an empty lot next to Whataburger!

Edit: Based on your post, City hall there should have helped the property around it grow in value and use, but it hasn't.


do no think that land is worth as much as you think! Have you seen the businesses nearby? The run down shopping centers across from the University in that area? LOL

***** what run down shopping center are you referring to?



Look at the shops on Walton Dr. Denny's. The La Quinta. On the Border (gone). Las Palapas (gone). 2 empty parking lots in front of Best Buy that sent empty that could be prime real estate for restaurants. Oh and an empty lot next to Whataburger!

**** Denny's is probably in it's best location it could be in for exposure to visitors to A&M. Where is a better location? The "empty parking lots" in front of Lone Star Pavilion center are there due to requirements for parking spots for the 120,000+ square feet of commercial stores including stores Barnes and Noble and Best Buy as well as the Mexican Restaurant, which was once Red Lobster. It would take an act of congress to put a store in those lots.

The On The Border chain went belly-up. Eventually another commercial store will be there as an investor purchased the site in Dec 2025.

The two pads on both sides of the Whataburger were purchased by Whataburger Properties with the scheduled plans to demo the existing building and build a larger building that will face Texas Ave.

As in most developed commercial areas in most cities, there normally is a constant change in properties.

The city hall maybe a little large now, but you build for a 30 to 40 life cycle projecting out the growth of the area. With all the growth we are having and probably will have over the next couple of decades, we may find out that we need more interior space.

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Aggie_Fire
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In reply to woodiewood1 • 8:15a, 10/2/26
AG
Ok. You make some valid points, but EVERYTHING you described is FUTURE, except On the Border closing...yeah I didn't realize they went bankrupt. Too bad, I did like their food.

I was referring to what I see now, I was not aware that the area is changing for the better. We are not all privy to the inside information you have. Thank you for sharing.

As for commerce, that area is full of small family owned businesses, in modest shopping centers. How most of them survive is impressive. The Texas 707 shopping center next to the shuttered On The Border and La Quinta is not inviting. It recently was running an illegal happy ending massage parlor. The gun shop has no curb appeal and is easy to miss. The shops at Walton are in disrepair and do not attract any passerby traffic. These buildings are OLD and will have to be rebuilt soon, IMHO.

So what you have described is that the area is up and coming and turning a corner for some revitalization and I am glad to hear that. Because currently it looks like a gateway in to Bryan
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woodiewood1
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In reply to Aggie_Fire • 10:01a, 10/2/26
Aggie_Fire said:
Ok. You make some valid points, but EVERYTHING you described is FUTURE, except On the Border closing...yeah I didn't realize they went bankrupt. Too bad, I did like their food.

I was referring to what I see now, I was not aware that the area is changing for the better. We are not all privy to the inside information you have. Thank you for sharing.

As for commerce, that area is full of small family owned businesses, in modest shopping centers. How most of them survive is impressive. The Texas 707 shopping center next to the shuttered On The Border and La Quinta is not inviting. It recently was running an illegal happy ending massage parlor. The gun shop has no curb appeal and is easy to miss. The shops at Walton are in disrepair and do not attract any passerby traffic. These buildings are OLD and will have to be rebuilt soon, IMHO.

So what you have described is that the area is up and coming and turning a corner for some revitalization and I am glad to hear that. Because currently it looks like a gateway in to Bryan

Nothing really privy to the "inside information" I have. The On The Border change in property ownership and the two lots around Whataburger information was taken right off of Brazoscad which anyone can access.

Retail and restaurants are required to have 7 to 10 parking places per 1000 sf, so Lone Star Pavilion. 707, and the adjoining restaurant are required to have about 1,200 parking places. That is why the center at the corner of GB and Tx Ave has the roof-top parking to meet the minimum # of parking places for all the stores in the two buildings. I have driven up there a few times and see one or two vehicles.

The 707 five buildings are full of about25 tenant small businesses of a wide variety of type and is well maintained. I have inspected the interiors and exterior of each three times for the owners and saw no issues. It is what it is, a business center, what's not inviting there?

Burdett's outdoor/gun shop has been there for 34 years over two generations of family ownership and looks fine to me.

I have driven around the commercial areas of probably 30 different universities in the country over the past 55 years and there appears to always be a blend of old and new and in a constant change of transition around the campuses.

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