Disingenuous! Conroe ISD and their propaganda targets the 16%

Adrian Heath August 28, 2019

Curtis Null must be the used car salesman of Superintendents if his VOTE YES BOND Tax freeze pitch to OVER 65 homesteaders is any indication.

Null has calculated that since 16% of the population is over 65 years old then all he has to do is convince the 16% of CISDs 160,000 homesteaders that they are insulated from future increase then they will all vote for the bond regardless of how wasteful it is.

He may do well selling reverse mortgages and walk-in bathtubs, but the long standing betrayal of taxpayers by past & present boards, staff and Null himself should guarantee the bonds failure when they learn the extent of the damage.

Conroe ISD facebook ads along with the official website deliver the following disingenuous proposition~

DID YOU KNOW?

CISD residents 65+ have their CISD tax bill frozen. Future property appraisal increases or tax increases will NOT impact your bill. Residents 65+ also receive an additional $15K homestead exemption from CISD.

Whats disingenuous about that?

CISD has been gouging over 65 homestead tax-payers for years.

Currently, the Texas law mandates all ISDs observe a $10,000 mandatory homestead exemption for all homesteaders who have reached 65 years of age.

Then the ISD board can vote to extend additional GREATER exemption cumulative to the $10,000, know as “local option”. So the first disingenuous step is the implied idea that CISD has granted a $15 break to over sixty fives when they have only reach out with a measly $5000 exemption.

And that’s where the term disingenuous really come into full flower.

What can be done?

I’m glad you asked. lets begin by looking at our neighbors south of the county line, you know that cesspools of wanton graft and corruption virtually swallowing private property ownership in whole chunks, that place we DON’T want to be like know as Harris County ( & its many other subdivisions)

ISD’s REAL local option for OVER 65 Homesteaders

Houston ISD 20% + 15,000

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD 20% + 25,000

Dear Park ISD 20% + 43,300

Galena Park ISD 20% + 17,400

Goose Creek ISD 10% + 25,000

La Porte ISD 20% + $60,000

What the example above translate to is huge and meaningful to over 65 homestead tax-payers in Conroe ISD. these examples ISDs have taken steps to protect aging taxpayers to the maximum allowable by law rather than the minimum. 20% is huge! PLUS $60,000 !!! That is 1/5th of the value of the taxpayers home value taken of before the so called freeze takes effect and then some. And freeze is a misnomer, the correct term is ceiling. Why?, because by law your tax can go down, it can go down when Conroe ISD gets right with the world and observes the maximum allowable over 65 homestead deduction for those who should NOT be paying for CISD future grandiose borrowing spree. And thats just School tax exemptions, dont get me started on basic everyone gets it homestead exemption in Harris County, thats a whole other story but i’ll give you hint. It starts with 160,000!

So I said disingenuous, and its fitting, but wait there’s more.

On Null’s profile page we read.

The Null family is very proud that Sheldon ISD, located in Northeast Harris County, opened Michael R. Null Middle School, named in honor of Dr. Null’s father in 2009.

And just what is the over 65 homestead exemption in Sheldon ISD?

How about 20% + 20,850

Granted, many Conroe ISD homesteaders are insulated from the relatively higher CISD taxes by their higher incomes but there are far more who are not in that position. i’d say upwards of 16%

No , over 65 homesteaders dont need to vote for the bond and enjoy their Null tasty freeze, they need to take turns lining up at each CISD board meeting until the board sees the light and puts an end to the predatory error of their ways.