Tarrant County House candidates split on how to cut property taxes

Five candidates for Texas House seats in Tarrant County agreed at an Oct. 8 forum that residents need property tax relief, but they split on how to deliver it. The event at Texas Wesleyan University was hosted by the Fort Worth Report, KERA and the Tarrant County chapter of the League of Women Voters.

Who attended

Organizers invited the Republican and Democratic nominees in House Districts 92, 93, 94, 97 and 98 and in Senate District 9. Five of the 12 candidates came:

• Rep. Salman Bhojani, a Democrat seeking a third term in District 92, which covers parts of Arlington, Bedford, Euless and Grand Prairie. His Republican opponent, JP Woodruff, did not attend.
• Cheryl Bean, the Republican nominee, and Katie O'Brien Duzan, the Democratic nominee, in District 94, which includes east Fort Worth and Hurst. The seat is open because Republican Rep. Tony Tinderholt is running for Tarrant County commissioner.
• Beth Llewellyn McLaughlin, the Democratic nominee in District 97, which includes parts of Fort Worth, Benbrook and White Settlement. Republican Rep. John McQueeney, who is seeking a second term, did not attend.
• Cate Brennan, the Democratic nominee in District 98 in northeast Tarrant County. Her Republican opponent, former Keller Mayor Armin Mizani, did not attend. Republican Rep. Giovanni Capriglione is not running again.

Taxes and schools

Gov. Greg Abbott has proposed capping local government spending, letting voters approve tax rate increases, limiting appraisal growth and eliminating the school homestead property tax. His Democratic opponent, Gina Hinojosa, has proposed ending corporate subsidies as part of a plan to eliminate property taxes for residents.

Bhojani, Llewellyn McLaughlin and Brennan called Abbott's plan a "nonstarter" and said the state should instead reprioritize the revenue it already collects. All three said they would repeal the state's school voucher program; Llewellyn McLaughlin, a retired Fort Worth ISD teacher, said "public money should stay in public schools." Bhojani and Brennan also favored cutting back or ending tax abatements for corporations.

O'Brien Duzan said she wants "sustainable and pragmatic" relief that does not force cuts to city services. Bean said many taxing entities in District 94 have managed their budgets responsibly and should not be penalized by sweeping state mandates.

Data centers and housing

All five said the Legislature should set statewide rules for data centers while leaving local governments some control. Brennan, whose district includes a planned data center at the Keller-Westlake line, said she wants local say over where the facilities go and state protections for water and power. Bean said data centers need restrictions so they do not hurt nearby property values.

Bean and O'Brien Duzan both want to amend Senate Bill 840, a 2025 law that lets developers build multifamily and mixed-use housing on commercial land, saying it took planning control away from cities such as Arlington.

Source: Fort Worth Report.

Sources

fortworthreport.org