On November 4, Texans will vote on Proposition 17, a constitutional amendment allowing the legislature to exempt from property taxes the value added to real property in border counties from the installation of “border security infrastructure”.

The Libertarian Party of Texas supports Proposition 17—not because we endorse the political theater around border security, but because we support any step that reduces the burden of property taxes.

Property tax is especially egregious. If we must continually pay the state to keep their homes, they don’t truly own their property, the government does. Every exemption, however narrow or politically motivated, moves us closer to dismantling this unjust system. For that reason, we support Proposition 17.

That said, let’s be honest, this amendment is less about tax relief and more about political posturing. Limiting exemptions only to property owners on the border who build “border security infrastructure” is a dog whistle designed to fold tax policy into the state’s ongoing culture war against immigrants.

Libertarians will not shy away from the fact that Texans deserve full repeal of property taxes, not selective exemptions that further strain the rest of us. While we welcome this measure as a step toward broader tax relief, we reject the culture-war framing and the state’s attempt to use taxation as a tool of division.

On November 4, vote YES on Proposition 17 for the tax relief it offers, but remember, our fight is for the end of property taxes for all Texans.