Friendswood taxpayer champions kick-butt
by David Benzion · 09/26/2006 6:00 amHEADLINE: Friendswood to refund $1.1 million to taxpayers
Taxpayers in Friendswood will receive a 10 percent refund from their 2005 city property taxes after City Council voted 4-3 to return nearly $1.1 million in tax revenue Monday night.
City Council members Jim Hill, Jay Horecky, John LeCour and Chris Peden supported the controversial measure, which was opposed by City Council members Laura Ewing and Mel Measeles as well as Mayor David Smith.
When the $1,093,680 in rebates will be issued and what form it will come in has not yet been decided.
The process to issue the refunds is projected to take 30 days, according to a city document. The money will go to the property tax owner on the tax roll as of Jan. 1, 2005.
“The way to slow government down is to take their money,” Peden said. Of the city’s 12,955 tax accounts for 2005, 11,038 will receive a refund of $46.42 or more, according to a city document. The owner of an average home in Friendswood will get a refund of approximately $77, city spokesman Nick Haby said.
The money will come out of the city’s $7.7 million reserve, Peden said. The city’s required reserve this year is a little less than $3.7 million, he said.
Friendswood is believed to be the first greater Houston-area city to issue a refund to taxpayers, Haby said. It fulfills campaign promises of Hill and Horecky, both of whom were elected in May.
“This money that was there was not earmarked for anything,” LeCour said. “I say give it to the people that it came from.”
[Hat-tip: Reporter Thayer Evans and the Houston Chronicle]
Contacted for comment early this morning, Voice of Texas talk-show host Edd Hendee offered this fitting epitaph for the political gravestones of the tax-and-spend, “Shut-up and Pay” forces of Friendswood city government:
“We didn’t change their minds– we just changed their jobs.”
Heh.
Background–
- Ron and Edd want to hear from you!
- Friendswood officials fight lower tax caps while avoiding appraisal increases
- LST uncovers FISD/GCAD collusion?
- CLOUT hits Friendswood with full-page ad
- Tax-loving Friendswood politicos begin to lose it
- Victory in Friendswood!
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Take a CLOSE at the names ot those 3 who were in opposition…. They should be fired next!!!
And more clout for C.L.O.U.T.
I live in Friendswood. It has been the attitude “If you live in here, you can afford it. It’s ONLY $100, etc.” for as long as I can remember. The bottom line is that it’s MY money. not the government’s. The RINO’s in Friendswood should beware.
BTW; Whatever happened to Patricia Hanks Illegal attempt to raise the school taxes in her favor? Did the AG, ever look into it?
Inquiring minds want to know…
A buddy of mine lives in Friendswood and I tried to get him to donate to C.L.O.U.T. last year, and he didn’t, now I’ll remind him that my donation helped him out. BAWHAHAHAHA!!
WWHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPP!
Today, Friendswood.
Tomorrow, the world. (At least my little part of it.)
#5 I believe that LST is a no-whooping zone…
Hopefully the momentum in Friendswood will grow and spread to the rest of our local councils. I can’t remember the last time a politician lived up to a campaign promise (at least a good one).
#6 No such thing as a no WHOOOOOOOPing zone.
Don’t hold your breath for Houston taxpayers to get anything back!
Friendswood is only a half-victory. I believe the school board voted to raise taxes the amount allowed after Gov. Goodhair’s “property tax reform”
I, too, live in Friendswood and stand to get back about $100. Sure, I wouldn’t have missed that money. But, that is not the point. Now the $100 is in my pocket and not the government’s. I will be putting the money back into the local economy, which helps the city with more taxes, which helps reduces our taxes more, and on, and on, and on…………
I live in Friendswood as well. But don’t live in the Upper End area of town (yes they do exist). I’m glad something finally went our way on this.
I guess I am confused on the math here. If you take $1,093,680 and divide by 11,038 thats closer to the $100 spoken about here. (Maybe there’s a processing fee). Where does the article come up with $46.42? Anyway cheers to CLOUT.
perry, dewhurst, ogden, williams, janek and hill should all be in the next group to go.
Eternal vigilance, y’all.
Colorado had been giving tax refunds to every citizen of the state under the TABOR laws since 1992 (I think).
Last year, the Democrats managed to get a ballot initiative passed that let’s the state leg. keep the excess revenue to spend on “roads and higher education”, because, of course, the state government knows what to do with my money better than I do.
WooooHooooo I’m moving to Friendswood
if that starts to happen it could get bad here as maybe Houston’s liberal taxpayers will start wanting their hard earned income to be returned to them. Oh no that can’t happen as that would upset the liberal mayor so he couldn’t protect his citizens but who said he cares about them anyway.
Taxpayers need to give Councilman Horecky a big “THANKS!” for his boldly taking on city hall. Clearly, big-government tax-and-spend liberals will be watching. Returning $1.1 million of the $7.7 million reserve fund is a step in the right direction. Clearly, they need to lower the taxes in Friendswood and continue to provide taxpayer protections to allow citizens to keep more of their hard-earned money.
#6
For Aggies, the whole world is a whooping zone.
Sometimes it’s celebratory whoops.
Sometimes it’s an “oh sh!t” whoops.
Sometimes it’s a can of whoopa**.
Sometimes it’s just whoops because it’s fun.
Peggy V. - Jay Horecky, Jim Hill, Chris Peden and John LeCour ALL deserve our thanks! Chris & John endured an awful year of being kicked around as the minority on council. It’s a great day in Friendswood. Now if we can do the same on the school board,in Galveston County and on the central appraisal district - it would be really great to live in Friendswood.