Tax spat in Austin spawns robo-texts
An argument between the state’s top elected officials over how to spend $12.3 billion in surplus funds set aside for property tax relief spilled into the in-boxes of some constituents of Olney House Rep. David Spiller last week. Voters in House District 68 may have received a text message warning that Mr. Spiller “walked out of the Special Session in Austin and refused to give you a $100,000 homestead exemption, instead giving big tax breaks to big business.” The message, purportedly from the Texas Association of Property Tax Professionals, urged recipients to call Mr. Spiller “and tell him to get back to work in Austin and vote for” the Senate proposal, which conflicts with a bill passed by the Texas House. The trouble is, the TAPTP was not responsible for the text messages sent to constituents of GOP House members, nor did the organization “stand behind those text messages,” it said. So the mystery remains – who paid for the ads?
