The Cameron County Appraisal District has given a 100 percent homestead exemption to disabled veterans who meet these requirements:
The veteran owns a home and occupies it as his residence homestead.
The veteran is receiving 100 percent disability compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a service-connected disability.
The veteran has a disability rating of 100 percent disabled or of individual unemployability.
All this sounds legitimate even as some veterans say that having served for love of country should not give them additional benefits in addition to those that are already given them by state and federal regulations.This subject will surely generate even more debate after the Cameron County Commissioners Court is asked during their Thursday meeting to authorize a refund authorized by the CCAD based on the Texas Property Tax Code authorizing the refund for a 100 percent exemption.
The veteran in question?
Would you believe Suth Padre Island Mayor Robert N. Pinkerton Jr.?
Pinkerton apparently qualifies under the county's disability exemptions and the commissioners will be asked to give him a refund for his homestead and improvements located on Section IX, Lot 1, Bock 137. The CCAD lists the 2012 value of the property at $799,344 with improvements appraised at $807,457 for a total of $1,606,801.
The total taxes to be refunded for Pinketon's homestead is of $29,891.45.As taxing entities struggle to make do with their budgetary constraints and eye potential increases on properties and service fees they provide, some local residents question whether providing a total exemption in cases of high-value properties like Pinkerton's is fair to other taxpayers who will have to make up the shortfall.
It is estimated that there are 1.7 million disabled veterans in Texas. During this legislative session one of the main proponents of the disability exemptions was Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos.
It is only a coincidence, we are sure, that Pinkerton is Cascos' fellow Republican and is listed on political websites as a frequent contributor to GOP candidates including 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Now with a $29,891 tax refund coming back to the mayor, more of those candidates may well benefit from the break.
9 comments:
If you worry about veterans benefits, maybe we should refocus on the benefits the churches get in terms of taxes. I think the churches should lose their tax-free qualification (perhaps with some exceptions) but the churches, like Pinkerton, build expensive facilities and ask the public to forgive their tax burden. I think Pinderton is a DICK, but his claim, like the claims of others whose castles are smaller, should be honored.
Pinkerton is a Vietnam era proud Marine veteran. So are you saying that just because he has made something of himself, he deserves less than other wartime vets? On the battlefield, bullets don't discriminate, and neither should we back here at home.
If a veteran is 100% disabled under the V.A. they should receive the full exemption no matter what their property looks like.
i beleive this guy had won the lottery (several million $$$$$ dollars) some years ago so he is not hurting.
Another plan to help those that have a "need" gone awry, and being exploited by the rich.
Take a look at farm subsidies in Cameron County, and see who is getting them!
These are the same people "Good Christian" folks that hire undocumented workers and scream bloody murder about "illegal immigration"!
Racist and classist through and through.
As a veteran with multiple decades of service, I have never asked for anything extra from the government other than what has already graciously been made available to me. It's actually quite embarrassing to see how some veterans act, regardless of their past service to their country. They seem to have forgotten the meaning of honor and humility. The local VFW is a prime example. Having gone there briefly, I was saddened to see examples of recruiting fraud, financial fraud, and stolen honor. Many of the regular members fight among themselves and, other than drink away their time and try to figure out how to pay their next mortgage installment, don't really do much of significance to help the community or other veterans. Many ot those guys are more about taking than giving. What was the City thinking when they leased land to the VFW for 100 years. They created another 14th street saloon right next to the BISD main building.
VETERANS DESERVE THAT AND MORE CABRONES!!!
MACLOVIO O'MALLEY
If he is a veteran from Vietnam era and he is entitled to to this disability exemption is what he earned and like so many others from other Wars and battles deserve what they get, i say Thank you to all Vets for your serve to your country.
Agree with 1:48 mac, but there are some VFW veterans that are impostors and esos cabrones impostores los nececitan castrar.
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