Are you truly interested in lowering the cost of government? County Tax Assessor Collector Cheryl Johnson encourages you to put your money where your mouth is and sign up no later than September 15th to receive your 2015 tax statement via email. Simply log on to your property tax account online at www.galcotax.com and scroll down to Register to Receive Electronic Tax Statements. “This feature is especially beneficial for anyone who recently purchased a property or refinanced as lenders request statements midsummer so those who paid off a loan may not receive a statement without taking advantage of this option,” stated Johnson. “Each online statement saves over fifty cents and those cents add up to common sense!”

Other deadlines? The last day to update names or addresses and to register to vote in the November 3rd elections is October 5th. Voter registration applications are available at all County Tax Offices and online at www.galcotax.com or www.VoteTexas.gov. Drop in the mail by the deadline or place applications in a yellow Tax Office drop box located outside each full time office (Galveston, League City, Santa Fe or Texas City). Have questions? Call the Voter Registration Department toll free at 1-888-976-2280.

Seven amendments to the Texas Constitution will be considered by voters November 3rd. Every homeowner will want to vote for Proposition One which will increase the State school district exemption by $10,000. “Participation in these elections is dismal at best,” stated Johnson, “and all of us would be well served to heed Thomas Jefferson’s warning, “The government you elect is government you deserve” and remember that the Texas Constitution limits the reach of State government.” Proposed amendments are shown below.

• Proposition 1: The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $15,000 to $25,000, providing for a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for those purposes on the homestead of an elderly or disabled person to reflect the increased exemption amount, authorizing the legislature to prohibit a political subdivision that has adopted an optional residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation from reducing the amount of or repealing the exemption, and prohibiting the enactment of a law that imposes a transfer tax on a transaction that conveys fee simple title to real property.
• Proposition 2: The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran who died before the law authorizing a residence homestead exemption for such a veteran took effect.
• Proposition 3: The constitutional amendment repealing the requirement that state officers elected by voters statewide reside in the state capital.
• Proposition 4: The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit professional sports team charitable foundations to conduct charitable raffles.
• Proposition 5: The constitutional amendment to authorize counties with a population of 7,500 or less to perform private road construction and maintenance.
• Proposition 6: The constitutional amendment recognizing the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife subject to laws that promote wildlife conservation.
• Proposition 7: The constitutional amendment dedicating certain sales and use tax revenue and motor vehicle sales, use, and rental tax revenue to the state highway fund to provide funding for nontolled roads and the reduction of certain transportation-related debt.

Galveston County Tax Office
September 5, 2015