TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — Many of us still haven’t gotten over the shock of our property tax bill, so figuring out how to lower them is a major priority for many a candidate running for office this November.
Tim O’Hare, the Republican candidate for Tarrant County Judge, says his goal would be a 20% tax rate cut. And he says the county would be able to accomplish that, in large part, through attrition.
“What government regularly does, is when somebody leaves a job, instantly without any forethought at all, we got to go get a job post out and replace them,” O’Hare said on Inside Texas Politics. “What we’re going to do in Tarrant County is we’re going to truly examine that job, that role and other jobs in every department to see if we really do need to replace that job or not.”
O’Hare says Tarrant County and Fort Worth have underperformed when it comes to attracting high quality companies and jobs. So he argues that if the county can attract more businesses, it will expand the commercial tax base and alleviate some of the burden on residents.
The Republican also believes stopping the swelling of government, which he believes grows and grows and grows to try to solve “every single problem that’s out there,” would also help lower property taxes.
“We’re going to stop adding new departments. We’re going to stop adding new positions. Put in a job freeze and see if we can do it with who we have. And I believe we can,” said the Republican.
The point, O’Hare says, is to spend more wisely and make sure Tarrant County is maximizing its dollars.
So, is there anything he might be willing to use taxpayer dollars for?
Jerry Jones hasn’t been shy about his desire to host another Super Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Because of the benefits of hosting such a large event, O’Hare says it could be something he supports, but not before extensive study.
“A Super Bowl would be a huge, huge economic boom to the entire region and especially Tarrant County since the stadium is here in Tarrant County,” said O’Hare. “That’s something I’d have to see the pro forma on. I’d have to see what would be the benefits. What kind of money could we expect to come into the county. But it’s absolutely something we would take a look at.”
O’Hare is taking on Democrat Deborah Peoples in the race for Tarrant County Judge. The election will be held November 8. Early voting starts October 24.
The Republican candidate also told us why he’s not concerned about lawmakers in Austin chipping away at local control. Listen to his full Inside Texas Politics interview to find out more.