Texas Governor Abbott wants to freeze property tax revenues for cities that cut police budgets

[Book One]

Gov. Greg Abbott, other Texas leaders want to freeze property tax revenues for cities that cut police budgets
The state's three top elected leaders also fiercely criticized the Austin officials who cut one-third of their police department's budget last week.


Gov. Greg Abbott and top Texas leaders announced Tuesday that they will push for legislation next year that would freeze property tax revenues for cities that cut police budgets on Tuesday, just days after the Austin City Council approved a budget that will cut police funding by one-third and reinvest money in social services.

The proposal sets up what is expected to be a fight in the 2021 Texas Legislature over what police reform should look like following the in-custody death of George Floyd that reignited a national movement against police brutality and racial injustice.

"Any city in the state of Texas that defunds law enforcement will have their property tax revenue frozen as of that time," Abbott said in Fort Worth, where the press conference was held. "This will be an effective tool that effectively will prevent cities from being able to reduce funding support for law enforcement agencies."

Texas' four largest cities — Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio — each spent more than a third of their general funds on their police departments in their respective 2020 fiscal years. But on Thursday, Austin decided to cut its police department budget by $150 million, after officers and the city's top cop faced months of criticism over the killing of an unarmed Black and Hispanic man, the use of force against anti-police brutality protesters and the investigation of a demonstrator's fatal shooting by another citizen.

"If we have police brutality, we don't need fewer police, we need less police brutality, and so we need to take action, whether it be as a Legislature or in police departments or whatever the case may be," Abbott said. "We do need to take action to ensure that law enforcement officers are trained in ways in which they will not engage in police brutality."

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Gov. Greg Abbott, other Texas leaders want to freeze property tax revenues for cities that cut police budgets

The state's three top elected leaders also fiercely criticized the Austin officials who plan to cut up to one-third of their police department's budget, largely through reorganizing divisions out from under law enforcement.

www.texastribune.org

 

[Squarehard]

Fuck you.

 

[Trey]

One has nothing to do with the other, so no, goof ass

 

[MinerArcaniner]

"If we have police brutality, we don't need fewer police, we need less police brutality, and so we need to take action, whether it be as a Legislature or in police departments or whatever the case may be," Abbott said. "We do need to take action to ensure that law enforcement officers are trained in ways in which they will not engage in police brutality."

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"Just nibble around the edges of the problem to make it look like you want to change things!"

What a fucking tool.

 

[iksenpets]

This is absolutely insane posturing. It would be illegal to ever have a police budget lower than what you happened to have in 2020? Crime falls? Fuck you, hire more cops.

 

[piratepwnsninja]

Abbott continues to be terrible.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

This dude is trash and if I said what I actually thought it'd be an insta ban.

Fuck this guy.

 

[PAFenix]

Thought the party of Small Government would be all for Cities taking it upon themselves to curb local issues.

 

[dingobingo]

Hey asshole figure out the covid shit first

 

[Zoe]

Thought the party of Small Government would be all for Cities taking it upon themselves to curb local issues.

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They only care about federal vs state.

 

[PanickyFool]

Has any city budget actually come up with a proposed budget redirection? As in:

1. Reassign x amount of roles for traffic enforcement from PD to DOT.
2. Reassign x amount of roles for public health to EMS to PD.
3. Reassign x amount of budget from PD to construct x amount of homes.

 

[iWannaHat]

"If we have police brutality, we don't need fewer police, we need less police brutality, and so we need to take action, whether it be as a Legislature or in police departments or whatever the case may be," Abbott said. "We do need to take action to ensure that law enforcement officers are trained in ways in which they will not engage in police brutality."

we tried asking for that and they shot stuff at at us.

 

[Gaia Lanzer]

"If we have police brutality, we don't need fewer police, we need less police brutality, and so we need to take action, whether it be as a Legislature or in police departments or whatever the case may be," Abbott said. "We do need to take action to ensure that law enforcement officers are trained in ways in which they will not engage in police brutality."

we tried asking for that and they shot stuff at at us.

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They don't mean something brought up by Dems with the goal to help society, especially PoC, they mean something written by white Republicans and leans towards Right-wing terms.

 

[Zoe]

Has any city budget actually come up with a proposed budget redirection? As in:

1. Reassign x amount of roles for traffic enforcement from PD to DOT.
2. Reassign x amount of roles for public health to EMS to PD.
3. Reassign x amount of budget from PD to construct x amount of homes.

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Austin is doing this.

 

[GungHo]

I hate this dude.

 

[Heysoos]

Fuck off Abbott

 

[onadesertedisland]

That tree failed the world

 

[BlueTsunami]

Defund Greg Abbott

 

[Crayolan]

Is this legal? Do governors have any say in how local governments choose to budget things?

 

[MonoStable]

What does freeze property taxes mean? As in no more rate increases?

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

I love that there is no rationale given other than "this punishment will prevent people from exercising democratic process to try new things".

That's it. No play at cost savings or moving around the funds. Just "fuck you, you must fully fund this abusive agency in perpetuity or else."

 

[Lv99 Slacker]

This punk ass bitch.

 

[Book One]

I love that there is no rationale given other than "this punishment will prevent people from exercising democratic process to try new things".

That's it. No play at cost savings or moving around the funds. Just "fuck you, you must fully fund this abusive agency in perpetuity or else."

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it's 'my base will eat this up'

 

[Pendas]

What does freeze property taxes mean? As in no more rate increases?

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Property taxes make up a large portion of a County's revenue. Freezing Property Tax revenue will effectively lower the amount of money a county brings in by about 30%. Property tax revenue funds everything from county schools, trash and other public services. So, he's basically saying "defend the police and I'm putting a freeze on 30% of your revenue." This would be disastrous to a local government.

 

[TheCuriousdabber]

Well if city council's are cutting police budgets by significant amounts and those budgets amount to about a 3rd of their total budget then wouldn't it pretty much be a wash?

 

[JohnsonUT]

Well if city council's are cutting police budgets by significant amounts and those budgets amount to about a 3rd of their total budget then wouldn't it pretty much be a wash?

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I think most people who push defunding of police want the new available funds to be used for mental health, crisis counselors, growing existing social services, and other non-police forms of public safety. Basically instead of just having a hammer, let's have an entire toolbox of options available for different situations.

 

[El Bombastico]

GoP are really prepared to die on this hill, holy shit.

 

[RDreamer]

It's astonishing the part of lower taxes and basically cut every government agency is not getting in a fucking tizzy over cutting maybe a few percentage from a heavily unionized government agency. So police can never ever have a single cent taken out in perpetuity? Seriously? I'm not for abolishing police but that's basically just as crazy. Any other year and a few percent drop means nothing really (except a prolonged fight with a union) but now it's some existential threat.

Every other piece of public government funding will be goddamned ravaged this year but the people that harass black and brown citizens? Can't touch them.

 

[TheCuriousdabber]

I think most people who push defunding of police want the new available funds to be used for mental health, crisis counselors, growing existing social services, and other non-police forms of public safety. Basically instead of just having a hammer, let's have an entire toolbox of options available for different situations.

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Ahh ok that makes sense. So basically they are just saying if you do this we are gonna take our ball and go home and nobody will get to play that money will just be gone and won't be able to be applied to other thing is to help the community.

 

[Zoe]

Property taxes make up a large portion of a County's revenue. Freezing Property Tax revenue will effectively lower the amount of money a county brings in by about 30%. Property tax revenue funds everything from county schools, trash and other public services. So, he's basically saying "defend the police and I'm putting a freeze on 30% of your revenue." This would be disastrous to a local government.

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School districts are independently taxed in Texas, just FYI

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I love that there is no rationale given other than "this punishment will prevent people from exercising democratic process to try new things".

That's it. No play at cost savings or moving around the funds. Just "fuck you, you must fully fund this abusive agency in perpetuity or else."

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Republicans do this to Madison, WI all the time too.

States' rights, and "local government rights", but not those local governments' rights!!

 

[PanickyFool]

Is this legal? Do governors have any say in how local governments choose to budget things?

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States are the fundamental unit of the country.

Counties and cities exist at the pleasure of the state's constitution.

 

[pizoxuat]

Flip it around. Gov. Greg Abbott sez "defund the police or we'll raise your taxes!"

 

[Naijaboy]

I see the Texas GOP is finally taking mask off. It was bound to happen given they're at risk of losing their statewide offices.

 

[Holundrian]

But will Texas reelect this person? That's the real question.