"Prudent and Responsible": Travis County Commissioners Discover New Way to Drain Homeowners’ Bank Accounts

Oh, joy! The Travis County commissioners have once again demonstrated their uncanny ability to turn every crisis into an excuse to raid our wallets. In a move that shocked absolutely no one, they’ve approved a 9% property tax hike—because nothing says "responsible governance" like bypassing voter approval and blaming it on a flood.

Let’s break this down, shall we? The county’s reserves were drained by July’s floods, which, admittedly, were tragic. But instead of, say, cutting back on frivolous spending (looking at you, $10,000 "art installations" in government buildings), they’ve decided the solution is to squeeze homeowners for an extra $200 a year. Because clearly, the people who already pay exorbitant property taxes due to skyrocketing home values are the ones who should foot the bill for the county’s lack of foresight.

Commissioner Jeff Travillion called the move "prudent and responsible." Of course he did. It’s always "prudent" when it’s someone else’s money. And let’s not forget the real kicker: this tax hike is a one-time exception, but the 3.5% cap they’ll revert to next year still means we’ll be paying more forever. It’s like getting a discount on a root canal—technically better, but still painful.

But wait, there’s more! The county plans to use some of this windfall to finally address the Onion Creek flooding issue—a problem they’ve known about for decades. Commissioner Margaret Gómez admitted they "didn’t have the money" to fix it before. Funny how they suddenly found $42 million lying around once they realized they could just take it from us.

And let’s not overlook the real victims here: the Sandy Meadow Circle homeowners, whose houses were damaged in the floods. Sure, they’ll get some help, but at what cost? Their property taxes will now be high enough to fund a small country, and they’ll still have to wade through knee-deep water every time it rains.

So, congratulations, Travis County! You’ve managed to turn disaster relief into a taxpayer-funded slush fund. Maybe next time, instead of waiting for a flood to justify your spending, you could try budgeting like the rest of us. Just a thought.

In the meantime, I’ll be over here organizing a "concerned homeowner" email chain. Because if there’s one thing we can count on, it’s that our commissioners will always find a way to make us pay for their mistakes—literally.