📣 If You Own a Home in Texas or Are Planning to Buy One, It Is Imperative That You Vote in This Off‑Year Election in November
What’s on the Ballot?
Texas voters this November face two major property tax reforms that could save homeowners hundreds of dollars annually — but they need your vote to pass.
1. Increase Homestead Exemption (SJR 2/SB 4)
What it does: Raises the base school-district homestead exemption from $100K to $140K.
How it works: If your home is appraised at, say, $300K, you’d pay taxes on $160K instead of $200K — a tax break for everyone.
Benefits: Cuts roughly $363/year on average from your school property tax bill houstonchronicle.com+8chron.com+8houstonchronicle.com+8legiscan.com+15texaspolicy.com+15texaspolicyresearch.com+15.
2. Extra Exemption for Seniors/Disabled (SJR 85/SB 23)
What it does: Increases the additional exemption for Texans 65+ or with disabilities from $10K to $60K, stacking on top of the base exemption.
How it works: Combined, eligible homeowners get $200K exempt from school taxes.
Benefits: Yields an extra $454/year on top of the base savings. Combined total ≈ $950/year en.wikipedia.org+9texaspolicy.com+9senate.texas.gov+9.
What Is “Compression”?
Compression means the state lowers school tax rates to cover the revenue schools lose when exemptions rise. It prevents local districts from passing along higher taxes while still ensuring they’re fully funded.
Think of it as a volume knob turned down on your taxes while the state picks up the tab.
This session includes another $0.06 reduction per $100 of property value — adding another $130+ in savings houstonchronicle.com+10texaspolicy.com+10texastribune.org+10.
Why You Should Care
Budget resilience: Texas depends heavily on ad valorem (property) taxes.
Unlike income taxes, they don’t dip dramatically during economic slowdowns — a liberty compared to states like California.
But excessive property taxes force homeowners into a corner: you’re almost “renting” your home from the state, which can raise taxes without your move.
Fixed‑income risk: Seniors and disabled Texans already struggle on fixed incomes. These exemptions let them stay in their homes & provide breathing room, not uncertainty texaspolicyresearch.com+15senate.texas.gov+15texaspolicyresearch.com+15.
Local watchfulness: State-level relief is meaningful — but cities, counties, and school districts can still raise additional property taxes unless voters block them locally. No watchdog but you.
What’s at Stake?
Without these exemptions, your school property taxes continue climbing with home values — especially in fast-growing places like Bexar, Kendall, Comal, and Bandera counties.
With both measures, average homeowners save about $500/year, seniors/disabled around $950/year — cold, hard money back in your pocket texastribune.org+6texastribune.org+6chron.com+6houstonchronicle.comsenate.texas.gov+1senate.texas.gov+1.
✅ What You Need to Do
Mark your calendar: Election Day is November 4, 2025. Early voting starts two weeks prior.
Vote YES on Proposition (SJR 2/SB 4) and Proposition (SJR 85/SB 23).
Track local tax talk: If your city or school district proposes a tax rate increase, dig into the numbers and see where it's going — budgets matter.
💡 Final Take
These ballot measures aren't charity — they're long-overdue tax reforms that put you ahead of political stability and rising property values. If you're a homeowner, these impact your finances more than ANY shopping trip, vacay, or even mortgage refinance.
🗳️ This November, vote YES to protect your wallet and Texas homeownership.
