{"id":83096,"date":"2025-12-10T13:39:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T13:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/83096\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T13:39:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T13:39:09","slug":"texas-attorney-general-announces-investigation-of-el-paso-and-other-texas-cities-to-stop-illegal-tax-increases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/83096\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Attorney General Announces Investigation of El Paso and Other Texas Cities to \u201cStop Illegal Tax Increases\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A <\/p>\n

AUSTIN, Tx., December 10, 2025: Yesterday, Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a press release<\/a> announcing that his office has launched an investigation into \u201cunlawful tax increases.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

According to the press release, Paxton\u2019s office will be reviewing the financial records of almost 1,000 Texas cities to ensure they are following the new state law, SB 1851, that requires government officials to transparently inform Texas property taxpayers about \u201craising taxes above the no-new-revenue rate.\u201d The new state law<\/a> that took effect on September 1 bars cities from raising taxes from the previous year if they have not published annual audited financial statements within 180 days after the city\u2019s end of its fiscal year.<\/p>\n

Joe Moody and Claudia Ordaz were excused as absent for the vote that included several items on May 10, 2025. Eddie Morales, Jr. voted in favor of the tax reporting requirements, while Vince Perez voted against it. Mary E. Gonz\u00e1lez did not cast a vote on the legislation although records she was present that day and voted on other legislation. However, she voted in favor of it on the Second Reading of the bill.<\/p>\n

On April 16, C\u00e9sar Blanco voted in favor of the bill as part of the uncontested State Senate calendar that included it.<\/p>\n

Paxton stated that \u201clocal officials will not be allowed to ignore the law, coverup finances, and burden Texans with never-ending tax increases.\u201d Among the Texas cities that Paxton has requested financial information from includes El Paso, according to his press release. El Pasoans pay one of the highest property taxes<\/a> in the state.<\/p>\n

However, according to The Texas Tribune<\/a>, El Paso city officials have not received a request from Texas officials. Laura Cruz-Acosta told The Texas Tribune in an email yesterday that Paxton has not contacted city officials, but that the city \u201chas always complied with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations\u201d related to taxation.<\/p>\n

Cruz-Acosta told<\/a> Austin\u2019s CBS affiliate that the city is not in violation of SB 1851 because when the adopted the city\u2019s 2026 tax rate, \u201cSB 1851 was not in effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

The City of El Paso adopted a lower tax rate<\/a> on August 19, calling it the \u201clowest tax rate in ten years,\u201d but many property owners will still see a tax increase because of rising property valuations.<\/p>\n

However, as city spokesperson, Laura Cruz-Acosta told the Austin television station, the city\u2019s tax rate was adopted a few days before SB 1851 came into effect on September 1 excluding the city from the law\u2019s financial disclosure requirements.<\/p>\n

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