NE Dallas News

Plano City Council Member Shelby Williams wants elected officials to sign a pledge to end taxpayer-funded lobbying in light of what he claims is a deception of some public leaders in raising property taxes by using lobbyists paid by tax dollars.

Williams made his comments in an interview with NE Dallas News and referenced the website where elected officials in Texas can "Take the Pledge to End Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying."

"I actually was at the Capitol last year, last session, for a couple of different efforts, but one of them was to testify for banning taxpayer-funded lobbying. I was also championing property-tax reform, which was ultimately crossed the finish line with SB2, Senate Bill 2," Williams said, who was elected to the city council last year. "Banning taxpayer-funded lobbying was something that was significant for me then." 

Plano City Council Member Shelby Williams wants elected officials to sign a pledge to end taxpayer-funded lobbying. | Facebook

The council member said that for several years as property values in Texas "skyrocketed," mainly where he lives in North Texas, the property tax burden increased "commensurably." 

He said he talked with several people taxed out of their homes, for example, a man who has a rental house he rents to a widow.

"Because it's a rental property, neither of them get any of the protections like the homestead exemption, the over 65 exemption, nothing, because it's a rental property," Williams said.

"The taxes on that property, the property taxes had increased so much that he was now subsidizing her to live in his rental property," he said. "She could only afford to pay so much on a fixed income, so he was paying extra so that he didn't have to kick her out." 

The council member alleged the problem was in the lobbyists telling legislators that it was necessary to raise people's property taxes 8% per year. Many lobbyists were paid by property tax dollars, Williams said.

"In issues like property tax reform, it's (taxpayer-funded lobbying) using the taxpayers' money against them when they have no say in the matter," Williams said.