Appraisal Creep

“Appraisal Creep” is a term coined to describe increases in assessed valuations by appraisal districts. Mostly these increases are true and correct, but often they are merely stealth tax increases. Today, appraisal districts across Texas are increasing assessed valuations while the value of homes in Texas is flat or even declining. While Texas has been blessed by a more buoyant economy than most and did not experience a bubble in its real estate values, it is very un-likely home values have risen the 10% to 15% that many Texas families are experiencing.

HALO will be pushing for legislation to require each taxing entity to adopt the “effective tax rate”.  Adopting the effective tax rate will force the taxing entity to have what amounts to baseline budgeting.

Any tax increase would then be forced into the light of day. No longer could a dishonest official say they did not increase the tax rate knowing full well they used the appraisal districts to raise taxes. HALO believes this deception is wrong and a tax increase above the rate of growth in the wealth of the citizens is wrong. Taking an increasing share of the people’s wealth is counter productive to producing wealth.

Balanced Budget Amendment Concept

Social Security and Medicaid at the Federal level are largely a high percentage of the budget and the biggest driver of government debt. An amendment to the constitution of the United States should be called for stating:

-No system of deferred benefit shall be maintained that is not actuarially sound-

HALO will push for a constitutional convention at the Federal level and work for an amendment to the state constitution.
Defined benefit vs. defined contribution plans will increasingly be debated across the nation and in the states. It is impossible to continue systems that pay out benefits with no relation to the amount contributed. HALO, as a property rights advocate, takes the position that all plans of deferred benefit should be a property right fully vested in the individual contributor to such plan.

Social Security should be restored to its original intent. Failure to restore and resolve this issue will lead to increasingly higher levels of debt and lower levels of confidence in the “full faith and credit” of the nation and sovereign states.

Go to these links to see other issues on HALO's Agenda:

Property Tax Information

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