Governor Greg Abbott wants to empower taxpayers.
Working alongside Americans for Prosperity Texas (AFP-TX), state leaders, and a coalition of local elected officials, Governor Abbott is making it his mission to overhaul the property tax system, promote overdue property tax relief, and ensure Texas remains the most affordable state in the nation.
I’ve talked to thousands of Texans across the state about their property taxes.
This is what they want.
My legislation gets it done.
1) Require local spending limits
2) Require 2/3 voter approval on all tax increases
3) Empower voters to roll back taxes
4) Cap appraisal growth…— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 12, 2026
In 2025, Governor Greg Abbott delivered historic property tax reform — an overwhelming $51 billion in relief — for hardworking families and businesses in every corner of Texas. But in the Lone Star State, local jurisdictions are the bodies that impose all the property taxes; not the State of Texas. Because local governmental entities control Texans’ property taxes, they have the power to raise them in multiple ways to justify out-of-control spending.
Governor Abbott believes that Texans should be the ones with complete control over their property taxes. That’s why he has designed a five-point Texas Taxpayer Empowerment Plan to bring about permanent change. These reforms are structural, not cosmetic and they will ensure laws are in place to prevent local governments from hiking taxes in the future and erasing meaningful relief previously provided by the state:
1. Require Common Sense Local Spending Limits
The State of Texas currently has five spending limits, but there are no standardized limits for cities, counties, or other local governmental entities. Governor Abbott will limit local government spending to population plus inflation or 3.5% (the lesser of the two) to ensure fiscally-responsible governance.
2. Require Two-Thirds Voter Approval for Tax Increases
Governor Abbott will make it harder, not easier, for local governments to take Texans’ hard-earned money by requiring a two-thirds voter approval on all local property tax increases before they can take effect.
3. Empower Voters to Roll Back Taxes
Under Governor Abbott’s plan, if 15% of registered voters in a local area sign a petition, they can force a rollback election to lower rates, reducing taxes for all property owners and constraining bloated local government budgets.
4. Create Appraisal Predictability, Cap Appraisal Growth
Governor Abbott will require that all properties be appraised only once every five years. Additionally, Governor Abbott will lower the annual homestead appraisal cap from 10% to 3% and expand that cap to all properties, helping both renters and businesses while keeping housing affordable.
5. Eliminate School Property Taxes for Homeowners
School district property taxes are the largest portion of Texas homeowners’ tax bills, which is why Governor Abbott will – through a constitutional amendment – empower Texans to vote to eliminate school district property taxes on homeowners
As of April 1, 85 current and future lawmakers support Governor Abbott’s five-point property tax plan. Governor Abbott is calling on all lawmakers to sign his property tax pledge to rein in runaway local spending, empower taxpayers, reform Texas’ appraisal system, and eliminate the school district property tax for homeowners. Property tax reform can only work if lawmakers support it:
