On August 24, city council voted to send a resolution to the state legislature supporting legislative efforts to give local taxing entities the ability to raise the homestead exemption  rate from its current ceiling of 20% up to 100%.

In September 2021, a similar resolution was introduced in the legislature, but quickly died as it failed to advance beyond the first of seven stages. Prior to that, State Senator Brandon Creighton sponsored a similar bill which also failed. Although Creighton is supportive of the concept, he believes Shenandoah’s situation is unique and does not think future efforts would have widespread backing of state legislators.

 

Councilman Ted Fletcher said there was nothing else the city could do to lower tax rates since the rates are already at the no-new-revenue rate. However, the Woodlands recently voted to go below their no-new-revenue rate, an option the city could consider.