Property tax reform isn’t simply a slogan or campaign promise for Ellen Troxclair.
It’s something Troxclair has advocated for during her entire public career, starting as a member of the Austin City Council. These days, as she seeks a seat in the Texas Legislature, she continues to focus on this topic.
She and Justin Berry finished first and second in a four-candidate field in the March 1 Republican primary (Troxclair was first with 38.3% of the vote, while Berry garnered 35.4%) and will compete in a runoff election May 24 for the GOP nomination for the 19th District House seat.
The winner will face Democratic candidate Pam Baggett and independent Kody Sawin on Nov. 8.
Increasing property tax burdens across Texas are putting the pinch to individuals and businesses alike, Troxclair told the Austin Journal.
“Property taxes are too high and continue to increase every year at an unsustainable rate. We have to cut them now in order to keep our state affordable,” she said. “I have been a longtime, outspoken advocate to do everything in the legislature’s power to come up with a more sustainable tax plan. I have worked with the Texas Public Policy Foundation to come up with a ‘Lower Taxes, Better Texas Plan’ to cut our taxes in half. This can be done through a buy-down plan where we apply the surplus revenue from our state's new conservative spending cap exclusively toward property tax relief. This will lower our property tax bills almost immediately.
“By doing this we can eliminate the maintenance and operations portion of our taxes within 10 years, while fully funding public schools, reducing our dependence on the ‘Robin Hood’ school finance formula, and cut taxes in half,” she said.
Troxclair is a small business owner, real estate broker and best-selling author. She has been involved in politics and government for nearly a decade, winning a seat on the Austin City Council in 2014. She was one of two Republicans elected while eight Democrats pushed the council to the left.
Troxclair was the youngest woman to ever serve on the council. She advocated implementing the city’s first homestead exemption providing tax relief to Austin’s homeowners and saw it come to fruition, even when she was the lone Republican on the council. As an advocate in the Legislature, Troxclair was part of successful 2019 efforts to enact incremental property tax reform at the state level, according to her website.
“I am the only candidate in this race with a proven record of lowering property taxes,” Troxclair told the Austin Journal. “In fact, our out-of-control property taxes are what led to me to run for office in the first place. And, I followed through on that campaign promise.
“On the city council, I was able to lower the property taxes of all of my constituents by passing Austin’s landmark homestead exemption," she said. "As a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, I went on to be a key advocate for passing Senate Bill 2, a critical property tax reform that will provide limits on how much property taxes can increase each year. While I have vast experience with this complex issue, my opponent does not have the experience, the passion or the plan to tackle property taxes in the way that we desperately need.”
Troxclair said as she meets with voters and listens to their concerns, property taxes always are discussed.
“This is one of the top issues that are mentioned across the district,” she said. “Texans need and deserve lower property taxes immediately.”
A Texas native who earned a degree in business at the University of Texas, Troxclair and her husband, Caleb, have three young children: Juliette, Margaret and Brooks.