Published: September 18, 2007 12:30 am      

Conservative Coalition seeks end to property taxes in state

GREENVILLE — The next session of the Texas Legislature won’t get underway for another 15 months or so, but some Republican lawmakers already have a pretty good idea of where they want to begin once it does convene.

For one thing, the Texas Conservative Coalition intends to push for legislation to eliminate all state property taxes.

John Colyandro, the organization’s executive director, says he has a better idea of how to fund public schools.

“In my opinion, it ought to be through the sales tax,” Colyandro said Monday night during a town hall meeting in Greenville.

The Coalition, the conservative caucus of the Texas Legislature, sponsored the forum in the Landmark on Lee Street (old Greenville Post Office) building, 2908 Lee Street. Several people attended the event, during which time the Coalition reviewed progress made during the 80th Legislative Session, which wrapped up earlier this year, and the group’s goals for the 81st Texas Legislature, which is scheduled to convene in January 2009.

Colyandro noted how the state currently grants $31 billion in exemptions from the state sales tax to Texas businesses.

“And approximately $17 billion is needed to fund our public schools,” he said. One item which would come under the sales tax would be haircuts.

“There is a list of 40 to 50 things that probably would be taxed,” Colyandro said.

The meeting in Greenville, last in a series of town hall events which had also been held in McKinney and Nacogdoches, was hosted by State Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Van) and also drew several other state government officials from the North Texas area. The forum addressed a wide range of issues, ranging from how to stop illegal immigration to economic development.

Not all of the ideas were immediately greeted with enthusiasm by the audience, but Flynn said that was to be expected.

“The whole reason for us coming out here it so see if this is the direction people want to go,” Flynn said.