Amusing Statesman headline (Austin: house, school, property taxes)

[Roadking2003]

In the paper today there was an article lamenting the five year decline in AISD enrollment and blaming it on a lack of affordable housing.

The amusing part is that Austin has taxed and regulated itself into a high cost house delima. Every year Austin increases taxes and housing regulations. The cumulative effect of increasing regulations and taxes year after year is that low cost housing is only available in the suburbs. So that's where people with school age children go.

And the politicians don't have a clue.

[Roadking2003]

Moved to Austin forum.

[jackalope48]

There's actually a generational drop off right now from baby boomer kids being out of school but their kids not being in school yet. Births fell throughout the 90's from a peak around 1992 so school enrollment has been dropping. Austin has the lowest property rate of the major cities. It has high values and thats usually thought of as a good thing.

[L210]

So, you're saying that supply and demand have nothing to do with this? Other cities are at the max or close to the max when it comes to property taxes. If builders can easily sell $300k-500k homes, then where is the incentive to build cheaper homes? Also, the values of existing homes have skyrocketed due to there being so many people willing to pay more.

[Austinite101]

Part of the reason is the way the school finance system works. The recapture system screws Austin ISD (and everyone who is paying AISD taxes) royally due to the high property values (even though half of the students are economically disadvantaged).

But the trend in the state leg. has been to push more a more of the burden of school funding on property taxes. They deserve at the very least equal blame for the big bite property taxes take out of people's pockets here.