Issue

In the last few years I was vocal about my belief that the Over Age 65 and Disabled Homestead Tax Freeze legislation could cause some problems for DeWitt County because our population of senior citizens is two times that of the state wide average.

There is no need to revisit those arguments because the tax freeze is in effect and it is permanent. We know it is helping some of the neediest and vulnerable of our population, but it is also bringing us to a place we have never been before.

One of the unintended consequences of the Over Age 65 and Disabled Homestead Tax Freeze is that in DeWitt County the five men responsible for setting the tax rate are now exempt from any tax increase they pass upon others.

Should there be a sudden decline in property values such as a collapse of the oil and gas exploration we have benefited from over the last six years, it would be necessary to drastically cut the budget for government services OR raise taxes to offset the loss resulting from the decline in mineral wealth.

If Judge Prause and the four county commissioners were unwilling to cut the budget, it would put them in the position of raising taxes on the 80 percent of the population which does not enjoy the tax freeze - and being exempt from the increase because of their age.

The youngest person on the commissioners court is Curtis Afflerbach. He is 66 years old.

While I do not doubt their commitment to do the right thing, I do find the situation interesting. My mind is full of "what if" scenarios.

Would they exercise self-discipline and forego a salary increase if they had to raise taxes on the rest of the population?

It is a situation worth watching.