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Budget Watch

With the downturn in the energy industry hitting property valuations, governments in the oil patch need to make sure that they are generating all the revenue they can to provide the services their constituents expect. That, apparently, was the impetus behind some comments Gregg County Chief Appraiser Tom Hays made to the Gregg County Appraisal District Board of Director’s the other day.

According to the Longview News-Journal, Hays highlighted Linebarger’s new Homestead Exemption Audit, which will analyze a county’s tax rolls to identify homestead exemptions that are being applied to properties inappropriately. Hays pointed out that the District doesn’t have the resources to do this work, which is why he was glad to hire us.

The firm recently completed a similar project in Nueces County and the Corpus Christi Caller Times reported on the beneficial results of that – nearly $2.4 million in new revenue and over $500 million in taxable value returned to the rolls.

It’s another way to make sure everyone is paying their fair share in support of local law enforcement, education and other essential government services.