Property tax break plan to have little effect in the Big Country

Two school officials predict no big changes

A plan that would put the state comptroller, not local school districts, in charge of negotiating school property tax breaks for businesses to attract major investments appears to have no effect on how school districts will conduct business in the Big Country.

Examples of large-scale investments include manufacturing plants and wind farms.

Superintendents from two local districts didn't think the plan would have any effect on how they do business.

Trent Independent School District Superintendent Greg Priddy said the district uses an Austin law firm to handle details of negotiations with wind farm owners.

Priddy said that if the state performs that service for the Trent district next time there is a need for such an agreement, that will be fine with him.

"It won't change anything," Priddy explained. "I just think the process will take longer."

Abilene Superintendent Heath Burns said few school districts are negotiating property tax deals with industry these days because such plans cause the state's funding formula not to work well for the local school districts.

He added that he would oppose the plan simply because it takes another piece of local control away from the individual school district and gives it to the state.

Currently, Texas school boards negotiate and approve the deals.

The recommendation would reverse that process, putting the state in charge of making the deals and then giving school districts the opportunity to reject the proposal.