Most people over 65 are on Social Security, and some of them, lucky enough, may have a retirement benefit from where they worked for many years. They may also have some savings that they have managed to save over their working years. I assume some have a business that they have built that could still provide a source of income; however, the majority are on fixed income, and they are trying to stretch out the rest of their years. Those who still own their own homes, still must pay their utility bills, buy groceries, pay their homeowner insurance, flood insurance, and maintain their health.
The Jersey Village property taxes for 2024 were 93.11% of all property taxes for my house. If my house were in Houston, I would be allowed the same over-65 exemption as Harris County, and the taxes would be much lower. When HCAD raises the “taxable value” on our homes, that house does not get any bigger, the appliances don’t become newer, the A/C does not become more efficient or require less maintenance. That increased “taxable value” on the home we own causes us to pay higher insurance costs, and we pay higher property taxes. That “paper value” adds nothing to our bank accounts, and there is no assurance that we can sell that house for the increased value.
If City Hall wants fewer homeowners questioning their spending, it could raise the over-65 exemption to match Harris County. That would be a way to prove they are not trying to force us to sell our home and move out of Jersey Village. The State of Texas finally passed laws that have allowed us to pay less in School taxes or none. Families in their 30s, 40s, or even in their 50s do not think about what it is like for those in their 70s or 80s and why they do not want to give up and move out of their home. Not all of us need to be in a nursing home. I have a neighbor who still mows his yard at 89, but this is their home.
Do not forget that the City Council was ready to spend $12+ million to build the new City Hall on the land that no developer would construct any of the buildings the City Council was promoting. That property should never have been rezoned from the beginning. It is not a bad thing to question or to ask for detailed plans before giving approvals.
Raise the Over-65 exemptions to match Harris County. Develop details of where and how the money will be used, then allow the voters to say Yes or No, and there will be a lot less resistance. Nobody is against fixing streets or sewers; we just want to know where and why it is needed. We need to know that we are not going to pay for a resort-like swimming pool complex.
