Citizens for Tax Relief NOW protest budget

The group “Citizens for Tax Relief NOW” drew a crowd of reporters Tuesday at a news conference to address the city budget process taking place across the river. As may become typical in this election, speakers probably outnumbered attendees, with candidates and political figures each making their pitch toward lowering taxes. Speakers included mayoral candidate Todd Phelps, District 6 candidate Jay Wiley, District 10 candidate Bill Worsham, District 3 candidate Julian Limon Fernandez and Travis County judge candidate Mike McNamara. The conference also featured Americans for Prosperity Texas Policy Director Peggy Venable, who released a statement saying that government spending and debt was outpacing Austin’s growth. She wrote: “Local government debt in Texas is a growing threat to our economic freedom.” Highlights of the news conference included a promise from Fernandez to lower property taxes by 20 percent, a promise from Phelps to lower the property tax rate immediately, and a warning from Phelps that Council was planning to ban all cellphones. Though Citizens for Tax Relief NOW identify themselves as a “nonpartisan citizen-led issue organization,” they do seem to share a photographer with the Austin Texas Tea Party, with each of their websites using the same picture of Austin.