Anti-taxpayer lawsuit filed by the City of Austin thrown out of court

An attempt by the City of Austin to loosen taxpayer protections was thrown out of court today.

The city has 30 days to appeal, according to the Austin American-Statesman:

The city filed the unprecedented lawsuit in August to seek the reappraisal of thousands of Travis County commercial properties and vacant lands. The lawsuit had also asked the court to strike down “equal and uniform” provisions in state law that allow a property owner to protest a value higher than the median value of comparable properties. 

More: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/judge-dismisses-austins-commercial-property-apprai/npHhM/

In a press release, Attorney General Ken Paxton is calling the dismissal a victory for the property taxpayer.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today released the following statement after a judge dismissed the City of Austin’s lawsuit against the Travis Appraisal Review Board challenging state tax policy: 

“This ruling is a victory for the taxpayers of Texas. The City of Austin’s attempt to rewrite Texas law was beyond the scope of their authority and put all property owners in the state at risk of higher taxes. We are pleased the judge ultimately dismissed this lawsuit, giving Texans a voice against unlawful efforts to increase tax revenue without input from lawmakers or taxpayers.” 

The lawsuit dismissed today was filed by the City of Austin against the Travis Appraisal Review Board, appealing what it characterized as an “undervaluation” of certain commercial properties. The city also sought to void Texas tax law and policy, challenging the constitutionality of the state’s tax appraisal system. 

The Texas Attorney General’s Office intervened on behalf of the State of Texas on October 29, after the district court barred Texas homeowners from intervening in the lawsuit.