Riley Green
This weekend my business and personal bank accounts and everything in between will transition from Comerica to Fifth Third. I have been preparing. It should be completed next Tuesday morning. We will see.
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I don’t know about this. See this from the Chron:
Harris County commissioners will consider a nearly 8% property tax rate increase next Tuesday in a bid to bridge a more-than $180 million deficit projected for the next fiscal year.
The Office of Management and Budget is recommending commissioners approve a combined rate of 67 cents per $100 in appraised value, according to agenda documents published Tuesday. The rate would be the highest since at least 2006, and represents a roughly12% higher tax bill for the median homeowner, should commissioners approve the budget office’s recommendation.
The proposed rate is 7.6% higher than last year, and coincided with a 1% decrease in valuations for existing properties, according to the proposed budget for fiscal year 2027. State law limits the property taxes the county can collect each year. Since this cap is calculated using last year’s total tax revenue, a decrease in property values gives commissioners more room to increase the tax rate.
Here is the entire Chron read: Harris County commissioners may approve highest tax rate in 20 years.
Here is what the Chron E-Board has to say about this:
When homeowners are already depleting their bank accounts just going to the grocery store or filling up at the gas pump, the idea of a higher property tax bill feels like a real kick in the shins.
For months, Harris County commissioners have warned about a more than $180 million fiscal deficit. Local governments face a perfect storm of inflation, state mandates, raises for law enforcement and the end of federal COVID aid. Even so, the proposed budget they considered last week is a shocker. General fund spending would increase by $327 million, up 15% from the previous year.
Homeowners will get stuck with much of the bill. The county is considering raising the property tax by 8% to a combined rate — which also funds Harris Health, the Port of Houston and the flood control district — of 67 cents per $100 in appraised value. It’s the largest rate increase allowed under the state’s revenue cap without getting voter approval, and would be the highest rate in 20 years. If the tax hike is approved, a home valued at $300,000 would see a $138 increase on the annual tax bill.
And this:
Critics of county government, such as state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, have noted that increasing property taxes at a time of persistent inflation when affordability is top of mind for most voters reeks of hypocrisy. He has a point.
But Bettencourt and his partners in state government aren’t blameless either. They’ve contributed to creating a situation where Harris County suddenly has an enormous need for basic government services without the financial flexibility to meet that demand without raising property taxes.
Texas Republicans have refused to expand Medicaid, turning down millions in federal dollars. Even with various workarounds, that leaves public hospital systems such as Harris Health on the hook to provide indigent healthcare. The county’s burden grew even more after the Trump administration’s Big Beautiful Bill went into law last year, which slashed Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion. As a result, Harris Health reported a $179 million increase in uncompensated care expenses this year. Every dollar slashed from Medicaid contributes to higher property tax rates for county homeowners.
And finally, this:
Two of the four commissioners are up for reelection. There will also be a new county judge next year and both contenders are against the tax hike. The incumbents and candidates have an opportunity to make their case for or against this budget proposal. If you don’t like their answers, you have the final say. So make your voice heard by contacting your commissioners today and speaking up at the ballot box on Election Day.
Let me say again that Sen. Bettencourt is a blowhard MAGA tool. There is a lot of noise heading into the November election. Two of the Democrats on Commissioners Court are up for reelection. They know what they are up against. I will leave it at that.
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How about this. Also, from the Chron:
Beyoncé has frequently said her Spanish-language “Irreemplazable” EP was inspired by Selena’s music. Now, the Texas icons are together on a song for the first time.
To celebrate her birthday and the 20th anniversary of her “B’Day” album, Beyoncé has dropped an expanded deluxe edition featuring “Irreemplazable (Como La Flor),” a mashup of Beyoncé’s Spanish-language version of “Irreplaceable” and Selena’s “Como la Flor.” The full album is available to stream now.
Selena’s estate rarely grants the use of her music, so the pairing is “a monumental nod of respect between two Texas legends who dismantled cultural and linguistic barriers in the music industry,” according to a release from Parkwood Entertainment.
Beyoncé has long expressed admiration for Selena. The “Selena” series on Netflix included a scene of the two meeting at The Galleria. Beyoncé, who would have been around 12 at the time, recognizes Selena as she walks by.
“I did actually meet Selena in The Galleria mall in Houston,” Beyoncé recalled in an MTV interview. “But I didn’t say much to Selena because I wasn’t a celebrity. I just saw her and said hello and kept it movin’. Definitely growing up in Texas, I heard her on the radio, and I think listening to her albums, even though I didn’t know exactly what she was saying, it helped me in the studio with my pronunciation.”
Here is the entire Chron read: Beyoncé drops ‘B’Day’ 20th anniversary album featuring Selena duet.
Nice.
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Country music singer-songwriter Riley Green made his “Today” plaza debut this morning for the Citi Concert Series. See the featured photo. I am always amazed at how many fans know the lyrics to all the tunes of the “Today” plaza concert series performers.
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We won yesterday, took 3 out of 4 from the White Sox, and still have a 2-game AL West lead. 21 games remain on the regular season schedule. We host the D-Backs this weekend at Daikin Park, then have Labor Day off.
Have a safe Labor Day Weekend.