TEXAS GOVERNOR THREATENS CITIES AFTER AUSTIN SLASHED 1/3 OF POLICE BUDGET

Gov. Abbot threatens retaliation for any city that defunds police

By Natalie Hee

Fox 26 Houston
August 18, 2020

HOUSTON - Texas cities that vote to defund their police departments could have their property taxes frozen as a result. The legislative proposal was announced by Governor Greg Abbott Tuesday.

In an effort to prevent Texas cities from defunding local police departments, Governor Greg Abbott is proposing a measure to cap property tax revenue at its current level.

The proposal comes less than a week after Austin City Council voted to slash one-third of their police budget.

The proposal comes just days after Austin’s city council voted to cut $23-million dollars from its police budget… and reimagine or re-allocate another $130-million to other programs.

Abbott says all this as the capital city sees a 64% increase in murders for the first half of the year.

"Any city that defunds police departments, will have its property tax revenue frozen at the current level. They will never be able to increase property tax revenue again. If they defund police.

Cities that endanger residents by reducing law enforcement, should not then be able to turn around and then go and get more property tax dollars, from those same residents whose lives the city just endangered," Abbott said.

"I would doubt if Texas Republicans really have much intention of pushing this forward as legislation, if beyond a very superficial level," said Mark Jones, FOX 26's political analyst.

Jones says freezing property taxes would reduce a city’s ability to conduct its general operations. But, he doesn’t believe the measure will gain much steam.
Rather, Jones categorizes the plan as a political tactic to help Republicans in the November elections.

"If it were to occur, it could not occur until the 2021 legislative session where the Texas Legislature would have to craft rules to penalize cities that cut funding for the police by freezing their property taxes," Jones said.
  
Jones adds that defunding the police is not a policy that’s been widely popular in Houston.
  
Chief Art Acevedo has publicly criticized Austin’s defunding-- a department he previously lead for nearly a decade. Acevedo is now offering any officer who gets cut, to come join his department in Houston.
   
"If you're a good person with a good heart and wants to make a difference, come to Houston," Acevedo said.

Acevedo believes defunding police will only disproportionately affect the poor communities.