Tax audit compliance check

EAST TEXAS — Over 60 East Texas cities are on a statewide list as the AG’s office checks compliance with rules tied to property tax increases. The investigation was launched by Attorney General Ken Paxton earlier this month, claiming that many cities are not complying with Senate Bill 1851, which requires them to complete and publicly post annual financial audits before increasing property taxes.

Due to possible violations of SB 1851, Paxton is demanding documents from over 1,000 cities across the state to ensure they are complying with audit and transparency requirements before raising taxes. The Office of the Attorney General said the review does not target cities for raising taxes, but instead aims to ensure compliance with audit and transparency requirements.

Click “more” to view the East Texas cities that have been named in the investigation:

Alba
Alto
Arp
Athens
Atlanta
Avinger
Big Sandy
Broaddus
Brownsboro
Bullard
Caddo Mills
Canton
Carthage
Center
Chandler
Clarksville
Coffee City
Crockett
Daingerfield
De Kalb
Diboll
Edgewood
Elkhart
Emory
Frankston
Garrison
Gilmer
Grapeland
Hallsville
Hawkins
Henderson
Hughes Springs
Jacksonville
Kilgore
Livingston
Lone Star
Longview
Lufkin
Malakoff
Mineola
Mount Enterprise
Mount Pleasant
Mount Vernon
Nacogdoches
New London
New Summerfield
Newton
Noonday
Ore City
Overton
Palestine
Pinehurst
Pittsburg
Point
Quitman
Rusk
San Augustine
Tatum
Texarkana
Troup
Trinity
Tyler
Van
White Oak
Whitehouse
Winnsboro
Winona
Zavalla

“I am demanding that cities prioritize transparency and work to minimize the tax burden of every citizen across the state,” Paxton said. “While many cities have complied with these requirements, I will continue to fight to ensure that every municipality across our state is following the law.”