Texas GOP delegates push property taxes, water, and grid protection as some top platform priorities
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Delegates from rural and urban counties alike said financial burdens on homeowners are driving conversations in their communities.
Tim Holtkamp, a delegate from McLennan County, said property tax reform is a top priority for residents across Texas.
"Well, clearly, you know, uh, property tax reform is, is, uh, uh, very urgent, uh, for a lot of folks, not just in McLennan County but elsewhere," Holtkamp said.
For coastal communities, the concerns extend beyond taxes. Carmen Calderone, the party chair from Nueces County, said water access and infrastructure are critical needs for his region.
"Well I mean the big thing being from Corpus Christi is water and infrastructure. It's a major issue that needs to be taken care of, and you know we'd like to see the state legislature pass some things to help us get water and desal and all different water projects to our area," Calderone said.
Jim Harrell, a delegate from Burleson County, said residents in his rural community feel the weight of property taxes most acutely.
"That's about the biggest things that people in the county talk about, you know, being left alone, reduce the taxes, or eliminate the property taxes. It's killing them," Harrell said.
State Representative Pat Curry, who represents District 56, echoed those concerns and pointed to additional issues he sees as central to the platform.
"You know, the major planks are obviously the, the same concerns that all of us have, which are property taxes, you know, some of this Sharia law stuff is, is obviously extremely important," Curry said.
Governor Greg Abbott addressed party unity and outlined his priorities for the platform, including new requirements for data centers operating in the state.
"We've got to protect the grid. By requiring data centers to bring their own power, reuse their own water, and lower the cost of electricity for consumers and residents across the great state of Texas," Abbott said.
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