San Antonio Police Chief William McManus told the Senate Finance Committee that Senate Bill 2 would “stop police department in their tracks” by limiting their ability to raise money for personnel and technology.
Fire Chief Charles Hood, in an interview with the Express-News, put the matter in starkly personal terms.
“Everybody in that room is going to call 9-1-1 in their lifetime,” Hood said outside the committee room, which was packed for the hearing. “When they’re having their bad day, we cannot get there effectively with Senate Bill 2, so we oppose it.”
Supporters of the legislation by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said they want property owners to have the chance at financial relief.
Under current law, voters can petition for a rollback election if a city, county or special district increases property tax revenue collections by more than 8 percent, with exclusions for items including new construction.
Under Bettencourt’s bill, an election would be automatic if officials propose a 4 percent increase in revenues or more.
©2017 the San Antonio Express-News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
