Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign is criticizing Democrat challenger Gina Hinojosa over her record on property taxes during her time on the Austin ISD school board.
Hinojosa has touted her plans to make life more affordable for Texans on the campaign trail. Abbott’s campaign, however, is challenging her affordability proposals by pointing to her record in public office.
According to Hinojosa’s campaign priorities, she wants to crack down on what she describes as price gouging by grocery stores and prevent retailers from changing shelf prices when they know consumers will pay more for certain products. She also proposes restricting private equity firms from buying homes and driving up prices for first-time homebuyers in an effort to “make homeownership a reality.”
Abbott’s campaign argues that Hinojosa’s record on taxes contradicts those proposals, pointing to her votes in the Texas Legislature and her time on the Austin ISD school board.
“Hypocrite Hinojosa is gaslighting Texans when it comes to affordability. Every year she was on the AISD School Board, Hinojosa voted to increase property taxes for Texans. On her watch, annual property taxes for Texas homeowners in the district spiked by more than 50% in just four years. The only thing Gina is guaranteed to deliver for Texans is higher taxes and a smaller paycheck,” Catherine Frazier, Texans for Greg Abbott communications director, said.
Before being elected to the Texas house, Hinojosa served on the Austin ISD school board. Abbott’s campaign says she later voted more than 40 times on legislation increasing property taxes during her time in the Legislature.
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Abbott’s campaign also cited Austin ISD’s budget documents to argue that Hinojosa supported increases in the amount of property taxes paid by the average homeowner during her time on the school board.
According to the documents, Hinojosa’s first year on the school board included a vote that increased the Austin ISD property tax bill for the average homeowner by nearly $140.
By her second year, Hinojosa voted again to raise the average property tax bill by about $230. In her third year, she voted to increase property taxes by more than $170 on average, followed by an increase of more than $330 in her fourth year.
In total, over her four years serving on the board, Hinojosa voted to increase Austin ISD property taxes by about $900 on average.
According to Austin ISD’s fiscal year 2020 Annual Report, the district’s property tax levy increased by $405 million, or 52%, during the period. Austin ISD notes that while the district sets its tax rate, property values are determined by the county.
Hinojosa’s campaign separately says that, as school board president, she “reduced the rate.”
Hinojosa’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment by publication.
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