Should Texas cap annual property-tax appraisal increases at 3% for all property, not just homesteads?
Texas currently caps homestead appraisal growth at 10% per year; a temporary 20% cap applies to some non-homestead property valued under a threshold. Several proposals would lower the cap and extend it to all property.
Position A
Yes — businesses and renters need the same predictability homeowners get.
My rent went up 18% last year and my landlord showed me the appraisal notice as the reason. Small storefronts don't get a homestead exemption. If predictability is good policy for homes it's good policy for the corner taqueria too.
Position B
No — a blanket cap starves schools and cities and shifts the burden onto new buyers.
Appraisal caps don't lower anyone's taxes — they shift them. When appraisals are held below market, taxing units raise rates to hit the same levy, and the people who just bought pay the difference. Fix the rate side (voter-approval thresholds, transparency) rather than freezing values.
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