1836 PAC
1836 PAC is fighting in Austin to abolish the property tax and to stop the local rate increases that erase every round of relief. You paid for your home once. You shouldn't have to keep renting it from the government.
Austin has sent billions in property tax relief home. Then cities, counties and special districts raise their rates, and the savings are gone before the next bill arrives.
Texas has no state property tax. Every dollar on your bill is set locally, by taxing units most Texans never see on a ballot. The state's 10% homestead appraisal cap slows how fast your taxable value climbs, but it does nothing to stop a local government from raising the rate.
"Exemptions cut taxable value. They do not stop the county from raising its rate." Ownwell analysis of Harris County's 2026 increase
Estimated statewide taxable property value in 2026, up 5.07% from 2025.
Texas Comptroller, Sept. 2026Austin's 2026 property tax rate increase, adopted without an election a year after voters rejected Proposition Q.
OwnwellJump in Harris County's combined rate, from $0.6241 to $0.6715 per $100 of value, among the largest in recent history.
ABC13 HoustonThe year many owners of non-homestead property should expect a one-time spike, because the temporary 20% appraisal cap expires at the end of 2026.
Bloomberg LawHomestead exemptions don't reach renters or small businesses. Landlords pass the property tax through in every lease, so the burden lands on families who get none of the relief.
The Dallas Morning NewsVoters approve relief by wide margins. Local taxing units adjust. Homeowners are back where they started.
Voters approved Proposition 4 with 83% support to raise the exemption to $100,000.
Propositions 13 and 11 raised the school exemption to $140,000, and to $200,000 for Texans 65+ or disabled, retroactive to 2025.
Harris County, Austin and others adopt higher rates. The exemption cuts taxable value; the rate still applies to what's left.
Lawmakers convene Jan. 12 with abolition, a tighter appraisal cap and renter relief already filed. This time, relief has to stick.
Five demands we'll carry to every committee hearing, every office visit and every floor vote in the 90th Legislature.
Pass a constitutional amendment that lets Texas voters decide whether to phase out the property tax on homesteads, then all property, with a dedicated replacement plan for school funding written into the same package. Let the people vote.
Cut the homestead appraisal cap from 10% a year to 3%, so taxable value can't outrun a family's paycheck.
Require voter approval, by a supermajority, before any local taxing unit raises more property tax revenue than the year before.
Restore the expiring cap on non-homestead property so small landlords, farms and storefronts don't take a 2027 spike.
Make sure the families who pay property tax through rent see real relief, not just homeowners.
Prefiled legislation we're supporting and watching. Bill numbers link to Texas Legislature Online.
Would abolish property taxes and create a joint committee on the abolishment of property taxes.
Each lawmaker has proposed a constitutional amendment to get rid of property taxes. Any such amendment needs a two-thirds vote in both chambers and approval by Texas voters.
Limits how quickly a home's taxable value can rise each year.
Would extend direct property tax relief to renters. We're reviewing the mechanism and cost.
Bill descriptions from The Texas Tribune, Nov. 9, 2026. Positions reflect 1836 PAC's agenda and will be updated as bills are filed and amended.
Compare today's 10% appraisal cap with the 3% cap in HB 563. Rates are held flat here, which is the best case. Find your actual rates on your county's Truth in Taxation site.
Estimate only. Assumes rates stay flat and applies only the state-mandated school homestead exemption; local optional exemptions and freezes for seniors are not modeled. If local rates rise, as they did across Texas in 2026, your bill rises faster.
With a new governor taking office in January and the Legislature split, property tax relief is one of the few issues both parties campaigned on. That's an opening. We intend to use it.
Prefiling opens. Abolition, appraisal cap and renter relief bills filed on day one.
The 90th Legislature convenes in Austin.
Unrestricted bill filing period closes, about 60 days into session.
Committee hearings on tax bills. Your testimony matters most here.
Session ends after 140 days. Constitutional amendments go to voters in November.
Lawmakers count names, calls and turnout at hearings. Here's how you count.
Join the 1836 PAC list for hearing alerts, bill updates and talking points.
Look up your state representative and senator with Who Represents Me, then tell them where you stand on HB 731 and HB 563.
When tax bills get a committee hearing, testify in person or register a position. We'll send you the date and the how-to.
Thousands of eligible homeowners still haven't filed for the homestead exemption. Check with your appraisal district.
Join Texans fighting to end the property tax.
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No. Texas abolished state property taxation in 1982. Today, school districts, counties, cities and special districts set the rates on your bill, while the state sets the rules, including exemptions and appraisal caps. That's why the Legislature is where the fix has to happen. (Texas Comptroller)
The cap limits how fast your home's taxable value can rise each year, but it doesn't stop local governments from raising tax rates. Your bill is value times rate, and right now only one of those is capped. (The Texas Tribune)
Any abolition plan has to replace school property tax revenue. That's why our agenda calls for a constitutional amendment with a replacement plan written into the same package, phased in, so voters see the whole picture before they decide.
Property taxation is written into the Texas Constitution, so ending it requires a constitutional amendment. That takes a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, then a majority of Texas voters.
No. Property taxes hit Republicans, Democrats and independents alike. We work with any lawmaker who will vote to cut, cap or end them, and bills on our tracker come from both parties.
Texans declared independence in 1836 because government stopped answering to the people it governed. A tax that never lets you truly own your home deserves the same scrutiny.