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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hi Neighbors,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I hope this isn’t taken as political, but it concerns that postcard every homeowner got in the mail last week headed “Notice of Estimated Taxes.” If you are fine with the amount of your property taxes, please read no further. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>That postcard gives you the opportunity to voice your opinion on the property tax RATE. Lowering our property tax RATE is good for everybody. This is different from homeowners protesting their own property taxes each year. My info comes from DMN consumer columnist Dave Lieber. Here’s a link to his article, but you have to be a subscriber to open the link. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/watchdog/2022/07/22/how-to-slug-it-out-with-your-governing-bodies-over-property-taxes/">https://www.dallasnews.com/news/watchdog/2022/07/22/how-to-slug-it-out-with-your-governing-bodies-over-property-taxes/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In short, this is how he says to protest:<o:p></o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Type in the following address (it’s on the postcard) <a href="https://Texas.gov/propertytaxes">https://Texas.gov/propertytaxes</a> (if you don’t type it in exactly, you may be led to sites that will charge you)<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Click on the orange button that says “Find your county’s website”<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Click on “Dallas County” it’s on page 3<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>In the search bar, type in your name or address to find your property<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Click on your account number<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Under the first option—City of Dallas—click on Feedback.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>This is what Dave Lieber recommends you write--“Dear Mayor and City Council. First, thank you for what you do for our city. I am [name], residing at [address], and I’m writing you to go on record that we stick to the “No-New-Revenue” tax rate. With inflation rampant and energy costs up, let’s tighten our belts. I implore you to make cuts wherever possible, just like my family must do. Thank you.” It also wants you to fill in a few other questions.<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You can see from the bar graphs that “No-New-Revenue” is the option with the lowest rate increase. It used to be that to protest the tax rate, you had to go to a meeting and speak before a panel. Who does that? Nobody. This new “transparency” gives us all the opportunity to make an “armchair protest” –which I like much better--and people may actually participate.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You are all smart people, please don’t just take my word for all of this, but do your own research, too. I’m not a politically active person, but I also don’t want to be taken advantage of by the government and sit by while they have free rein to increase the property tax rate. I’ve been hearing for years that the best way to put a halt to the increasing property taxes is to put a hold on the property tax rate. We finally have the chance to easily do that. But it takes all of us.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If anybody knows more about this, please share it with me or our community. This is all new to me and I may be misunderstanding something—which I hope isn’t the case because I already sent my feedback. I trust Dave Lieber—he’s a great consumer advocate.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Take care,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Marilou Simon<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraph><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>