Article on Stafford's lack of property tax (Houston, Leonard: sales, real estate)

[AK123]

Here's an interesting article today on a hot topic - property taxes.
Stafford, TX in the Houston metro has none.

No property taxes? Even some in Stafford don't see how | Front page | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
Stafford stopped levying property taxes in 1995, making it the largest of the less than a dozen cities in Texas to do so. It’s the only Houston-area city to have eliminated property taxes, said Frank Sturzl, executive director of the Texas Municipal League.
Residents still pay county and school taxes.
Skeptics originally had a field day predicting failure, but have since been silenced by the city’s success.
“Not only does it work, but it is also a feasible and plausible approach with good benefits,” said Mayor Leonard Scarcella, who has led the city for 39 years.
Relying on sales tax revenue alone, Stafford has managed to pay for city services, lower its debt, accumulate a reserve of about $10 million, construct a new convention center and build a police and fire complex in the past six years.
At the same time, new residents and businesses have been lured in by the city’s property tax policy.

[brucerby]

This is an interesting piece, but I'm not sure I get it.

75% of most RE tax bills is for schools, which it says residents still pay. And they pay County taxes, it says. So, to me, it seems they only are exempted from paying REAL ESTATE TAXES to the City of Stafford? ...which probably isn't much I would guess.

Don't misunderstand, I applaud any government that reduces its confiscatory taking from taxpayers. They should be encouraged. But it really isn't that they don't pay RE taxes, its just that they don;t pay them to the City of Stafford. Am I right?