The Texas Senate bucked several Texas mayors, including Mayor Ginger Nelson, when it voted to approve Senate Bill 1, yesterday.
According to the Texas Legislature general reports, the Texas Senate voted 19-12 to approve Senate Bill 1, which would trigger a property rate election for cities and counties if revenues would exceed four percent of what was taken the year before. Senator Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) was the only Republican to vote against the bill.
Governor Greg Abbott and Speaker of the House Joe Straus have both called property tax reform priorities, while several Texas mayors have called the bill preemptive over local ordinances.
Mayor Ginger Nelson was one of eleven mayors that signed a letter asking for a meeting with Governor Greg Abbott regarding the special session agenda and "Harmful proposals such as revenue and spending caps, limiting annexation authority and other measures preempting local development ordinances directly harm our ability to plan for future growth."
Governor Abbott has agreed to meet later this week with Mayor Nelson, Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope, and El Paso Mayor Dee Margo.
Mayor Ginger Nelson did not comment on this story as she has previously refused to comment on all stories by the Amarillo Pioneer.
Senate Bill 1 will now head to the Texas House of Representatives.
