Following up on the note about commercial property tax rates, let’s imagine that an industrial company wanted to move to El Paso and manufacture something. Maybe they would like to make a component that one of the many plants in Mexico needs.
Or maybe the economic development people would like to attract a big manufacturer to town.
This might get in the way:
El Paso has the highest property tax rate for industrial concerns of the largest 50 cities in the United States.
Looking at the average rates we are close to twice as high.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
All of Texas tax rates are relatively high. A manufacturing concern coming here will look to see if there is a suitable site, is it priced fairly, what are the utility rates, what requirements must be met before-during-after stand up, are local persons sufficiently skilled or trainable, material availability, transportation for finished products, and so on. Is the solution to reduce rates? Reduce basic fire and police services? Prioritize construction of manufacturing sites over QOL projects? Charge the developer for initial provision of roads, utilities, and water/sewage?
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Correct. Tax rates are only part of the equation, as are electric rates. However, tax rates and electric rates (to some extent) are part of the equation that the City can affect. We need to get all the oars in the water, and the City isn’t doing its part.
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Tax rates are only part of the equation but leadership in that area can get you kicked off a list early when multiple sites are under consideration. Residential property taxes also get looked at because that impacts executive relocation. I can remember years ago a Korn Ferry recruiter tried to convince me a move to EP would lower my cost of living. Back then property tax was double what I was paying in Florida on a similar value property (also a state with no state income tax). Now they are triple. The job was good enough that I moved, but I suspect it is a shock factor in most relos. And honestly even if every q of l project were fully built out we still would seem limited compared to what is found in cities where private sector innovation is driving development. We are paying a fortune for stuff that only impresses folks that have lived here all their lives.
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You hit on a biggy… the Electric and Water rates. Isn’t it about time that we move out of the dark ages and open up competition for El Paso Electric? Perhaps even allow another company or two to enter the water treatment business as well.
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BRUTUS: Since property tax relief is apparently going to be one of the Texas governor’s priorities; why don’t you provide website links to his office, along with that of the LT Governor, and members of both the Texas Senate and House, who deal with budget and tax issues?
Please provide a link and creative outlet here, for your blog posters who multiple times daily post their outrage on taxing issues.
It might be productive, plus be of help to those elected politicians in East, North and Central Texas, to know just how pissed a good number of El Pasoans are over yearly uncontrolled property tax increases.
Consider making your blog site a vehicle, where citizens can be proactive in creating governmental change.
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Great suggestion.
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Great idea!
Can someone(s) send me the links (via brutusep@yahoo.com) that are appropriate?
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BRUTUS: Try this website to start with https://gov.texas.gov and go to the bottom of the page for the governor’s ‘contact’ window.
It’s real easy, plus simple to provide ‘citizen input’ to these State officials by using the internet You can also do the same for the White House, plus US. Senate and Congressional elected officials.
Your blog posters are very creative, plus colorful in expressing their opinion on the various topics you post new each day. The thing that always puzzled me with the local blogs, was there were no web links to express this outrage to outside officials.
Just remember that our local elected State officials are uber liberal and just love finding ways to spend money. By going around those officials, to state officials in other parts of Texas, you provide those elected officials a better picture of how pissed off local citizens actually are.
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BRUTUS: And here’s the one for the Texas LT Governor, https://gov.texas.gov
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BRUTUS: Thy this as the above post for the LT Governor left out the lt.
https://www.ltgov.state.tx.us
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High Tax & Electric rates and Not enough water is the problem.
Plenty of beach though…
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Yet we end up rebating a large portion of said taxes as an ‘incentive’.
Think of them as the MSRP, which no one ever pays.
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BRUTUS: And here’s the one for the White House
https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
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BRUTUS: Here’s the one for the Texas Senate. Just go to the ‘Committees” tab.
Two committees to consider writing to are to the members of the Finance Committee and the Transportation Committee. Taxes and the shitty use of local transportation dollars, are two subjects your blog posters have been very creative in posting about.
https://senate.texas.gov/
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BRUTUS: And finally here’s the one for the Texas House
https://www.house.texas.gov/
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Why would ANY business want to move here? Why would they move employees into El Paso? Outrageous, always increasing TAXES, fabricated, inflated Property “Values” to push the tax increases. High utilities, always increasing. Poor school systems. Few to no Police on the streets. Thousands of Illegals in the Sanctuary City. No place to go from here, nothing to see or do here. It is a mistake to retire here, buy a home here. Why would any business locate here? Why would any family move here?.
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Why are you here?
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Or why are you? Why does anybody live HERE? Moved here more than 25 years ago, as Military Retiree, offered another job. In recent years retired again. Trying to sell my home, get out of El Taxo. Go some where that TAXES are much less, Property “Values” are not fabricated, inflated to push constant tax INCREASES for politicians to waste, tax, spend, tax some more. Where politicians don’t OWE big business and give everything away to support, provide whatever THEY want and FORCE taxpayers, the WORKING people to pay for all the “Wants”. And NOTHING ever gets better for the WORKING people of El Taxo. All that they can ever look forward to is ANOTHER tax increase in this Sanctuary City. It was, is a mistake for anybody to buy a home or retire in El Taxo.
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