Every election cycle, politicians admit what millions of Texans already know: property taxes are too high, appraisal notices are terrifying, and homeowners are being squeezed harder every year. Then, right on schedule, another “relief” plan appears.

Governor Greg Abbott’s latest “5-point plan” to overhaul the Texas property tax system sounds bold on the surface. It uses strong language. It talks about protecting taxpayers. It promises to stop local governments from wiping out state-level tax relief. It even includes the phrase “eliminate school property taxes for homeowners.”

But Texans should not confuse political relief with genuine abolition.

This plan may reduce pressure. It may slow increases. It may shift control over certain tax hikes. It may even lower some school district taxes for some homeowners if voters approve a constitutional amendment.

But it does not truly abolish property taxes in Texas.

And until Texas abolishes the recurring tax on ownership itself, Texans will never truly own their homes.

What Abbott’s 5-Point Plan Actually Does
Governor Abbott’s plan includes five major ideas:

First, it would place limits on local government spending, tying spending growth to population plus inflation or 3.5%, whichever is lower.

Second, it would require two-thirds voter approval before local property tax increases could take effect.

Third, it would allow 15% of registered voters in a local area to petition for a rollback election to lower rates.

Fourth, it would change the appraisal system by requiring properties to be appraised only once every five years, lowering the homestead appraisal cap from 10% to 3%, and expanding that cap to more types of property.

Fifth, it would let voters decide through a constitutional amendment whether to eliminate school district property taxes on homeowners.

Some of these ideas may sound good to taxpayers. Some may even provide temporary relief. But the key word is temporary.

This is still not abolition.

The Biggest Problem: It Only Targets Part of the System
The most important detail in Abbott’s plan is easy to miss: it does not eliminate all property taxes.

It focuses on eliminating school district property taxes on homeowners.

That still leaves cities.
That still leaves counties.
That still leaves hospital districts.
That still leaves junior college districts.
That still leaves special districts.
That still leaves local debt.
That still leaves commercial property taxes.
That still leaves renters paying property taxes indirectly through rent.
That still leaves landowners, small business owners, farmers, ranchers, and property owners trapped in the same basic system.

A homeowner may get relief on one portion of the tax bill while another local taxing unit raises rates, issues debt, creates fees, or comes back with a polished campaign asking voters for more money.

That is not freedom.

That is a shell game.

Spending Limits Are Not Abolition
Abbott’s plan says local governments should live within their means. That sounds right. Texas families have to live within a budget, so government should too.

But spending limits do not abolish the tax. They only manage how fast the machine grows.

A spending cap is a speed bump. It is not a roadblock.

Local governments can still ask voters to exceed limits. They can still argue that every new increase is necessary. They can still run emotional campaigns. They can still use public safety, schools, children, roads, and emergencies to convince voters to approve more spending.

Texans have seen this before.

A district claims it needs more money. Consultants package the message. Campaign signs appear. Voters are told the future depends on saying yes. Then homeowners get the bill.

That is exactly why “relief” never lasts.

Two-Thirds Voter Approval Sounds Strong — But It Still Keeps the Tax Alive
Requiring a two-thirds vote for local property tax increases sounds like a taxpayer protection. It is better than letting local officials raise taxes without meaningful voter approval.

But again, it does not abolish property taxes.

It simply changes the process for raising them.

The government would still have the power to tax your home every year. The government would still have the power to place a lien on your property for unpaid taxes. The government would still have the power to force payment from people who already bought and paid for their homes.

A system that requires voters to approve the increase is still a system where the government claims a permanent financial interest in private property.

That is the core issue Abbott’s plan does not solve.

Appraisal Caps Are Political Painkillers, Not a Cure
Capping appraisal increases may sound appealing because Texans are tired of shocking appraisal notices. No homeowner wants to open an envelope and see the government claim their home is suddenly worth much more, especially when that “value” becomes the basis for a higher tax bill.

But appraisal caps do not end property taxes.

They do not eliminate the annual bill.
They do not eliminate the lien threat.
They do not stop government from needing more money.
They do not end the fight between homeowners and appraisal districts.
They do not guarantee true ownership.

Appraisal caps only change the math.

They may slow one part of the tax machine, but the machine keeps running.

If local governments continue spending more, borrowing more, and demanding more, taxpayers will keep paying more somewhere. The pressure does not disappear. It shifts.

The Homestead Exemption Has Already Been Raised — Yet the Problem Remains
Texas has already passed major property tax relief. The homestead exemption has been increased. Seniors and disabled homeowners received larger exemptions. Billions of state dollars have been used to buy down school property taxes.

Yet here we are again.

Another plan.
Another promise.
Another election-cycle pitch.
Another “overhaul.”
Another round of political speeches telling Texans that relief is coming.

The fact that politicians must keep returning with new relief packages proves the old relief packages did not solve the problem.

The problem is not just the size of the tax bill.

The problem is the tax itself.

Property Taxes Destroy True Ownership
A paid-off home should mean freedom.

It should mean security.
It should mean stability.
It should mean a family can finally breathe.
It should mean a senior citizen can retire without fear of being taxed out of the home they spent decades paying for.

But property taxes destroy that promise.

When the government can tax your home forever, you do not fully own it. When the government can punish you for not paying. When the government can place a lien on your property. When the government can ultimately foreclose on that lien.

That is not true ownership.

That is permanent rent to the government.

It does not matter if the mortgage is paid off. It does not matter if the home has been in your family for generations. It does not matter if you worked your entire life to buy it.

Under the property tax system, the bill never ends.

Abbott’s Plan May Be Relief, But It Is Not Freedom
To be clear, any reduction in property taxes is better than no reduction. Any serious limit on local spending is worth discussing. Any effort to stop local governments from erasing state tax relief deserves attention.

But Texans must stop allowing politicians to label every partial reform as a historic victory.

A larger exemption is not abolition.
A spending cap is not abolition.
A rollback election is not abolition.
A two-thirds vote requirement is not abolition.
A 3% appraisal cap is not abolition.
Eliminating only one portion of one type of property tax is not abolition.

Abolition means ending the recurring tax on property ownership.

Abolition means setting property tax rates to zero.

Abolition means stopping government from using homes as collateral for endless spending.

Abolition means Texans do not have to pay forever just to keep what they already own.

What Real Abolition Should Look Like
A genuine plan to abolish property taxes in Texas should include a clear constitutional amendment with a firm timeline to phase property taxes down to zero.

It should apply to more than one piece of the tax bill.

It should address school districts, cities, counties, hospital districts, special districts, debt, and local spending.

It should prohibit local governments from simply renaming property taxes as another recurring ownership charge.

It should require real budget discipline before new revenue is discussed.

It should restructure public education funding without using homes as the government’s guaranteed collection tool.

It should protect homeowners, seniors, families, farmers, ranchers, and small business owners from being taxed off their property.

And most importantly, it should be honest.

Texans do not need another political slogan. Texans need a permanent end to the tax on ownership.

Texas Must Stop Settling for Election-Year Relief
Governor Abbott’s 5-point plan may be marketed as bold reform, but it still accepts the basic premise that government can keep a permanent claim on private property.

That is the line Texans must reject.

The question is not whether property taxes should be slightly lower this year.

The question is whether Texans truly own their homes.

If the answer is yes, then property taxes must end.

If the answer is no, then politicians should stop pretending that relief is the same as freedom.

Texas should lead the nation by abolishing property taxes once and for all. Not managing them. Not slowing them. Not capping them. Not shifting them. Not reducing one part while leaving the rest of the system alive.

Abolish them.

Until Texas ends the tax on ownership, Texans will never truly own their homes.

Sign the petition to eliminate property taxes in Texas and help send a clear message to state leaders: relief is not enough. Reform is not enough. Texans deserve true ownership.

Read more in my book "Taxed Out of Texas" available on Amazon and help spread the message before another election cycle passes with more promises and no real abolition.