Former state Sen. Don Huffines was sworn in as Texas’ chief financial officer after a ceremony Saturday. Huffines, 68, was temporarily appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott after winning the Republican nomination earlier this year. He will face Democratic state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt in November for a full four-year term.
Advocating for Property Tax Relief
Huffines steps into the role as the Texas comptroller’s office oversees the state’s launch of a $1 billion school voucher program, which allows families to use public dollars for private schooling. Huffines thanked Abbott for having confidence in him for the appointment and for the governor’s conservative leadership that spurred a thriving economy for Texas.
Huffines is refusing a salary, as he did while serving in the Texas Senate from 2015 to 2019. His focus is on advocating for property tax relief, according to a press release. “Cities and counties across Texas are seeing strong sales tax collections and growing revenues,” he said in his statement. “As they prepare their budgets, they should look for every opportunity to return those dollars to taxpayers through lower property taxes.”
Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
