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August 25, 2026
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Volume 61 l Number 146
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The Voice of Seguin
WEEKEND EDITION
TODAY
Tax exemptions, freeze changes and slowing market fuel local revenue shortfall Cindy Aguirre-Herrera
(Seguin) -- Guadalupe Appraisal District Chief Appraiser Peter Snaddon is shedding more light on why local taxing entities are seeing a significant drop in taxable value this year, saying “the situation is the result of several factors coming together rather than one mistake or one year of lost value.” In fact, Snaddon describes it as a “perfect storm” involving statemandated tax changes, a slower property market and changes to tax freezes for homeowners who are 65 and older or disabled. One of the major changes began with a constitutional amendment approved by Texas voters in November 2023. He says the measure increased the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $100,000 and increased exemptions for homeowners who are 65 and older or disabled.
These changes, however, were complicated even more he says by “the requirement to apply them retroactively.” “The state, the legislature, in 2023, sent to the voters in November of 2023 the opportunity to increase the homestead exemption amount to $100,000 from $40,000, as well as the over-65. They increased that as well for individuals. What was really specific about that aspect was they had the tax assessor-collectors go back as far as 2019, so that way they could use the compression rates to give them the benefit that the legislature wanted them to have,” said Snaddon. This, he says created challenges because “the appraisal district and tax assessor-collector’s offices have different responsibilities — and different computer systems.” Exemptions, pg. 3
County officials headed for Sept. 1 budget showdown Cindy Aguirre-Herrera
(Seguin) -- A September 1 showdown is set over the Guadalupe County budget and tax rate. The Guadalupe County Commissioners Court will hold public hearings and will take action on both issues during its meeting Tuesday, September 1, at the Guadalupe County Courthouse. A difficult budget year has turned into a public disagreement among Guadalupe County elected officials over taxes, spending and how to maintain county services. The problem began with about a $1
billion drop in the county’s taxable value. Part of that decline is due to lower property values, but the biggest change is tied to corrections involving tax freezes (or ceilings) for thousands of over-65 homesteads. Some accounts that should have been included in those calculations in previous years were added this year by the Guadalupe Appraisal District, reducing the amount of property tax revenue available to the county. Budget, pg. 3