Voters across Texas will see a proposed amendment on the November 2026 ballot that would give property owners a tax break if their property is used for border security projects.

Under Proposition 17, property owners in border counties could receive a tax exemption if their land is used for new or upgraded border security — such as fencing or barriers.

That exemption would apply to both the infrastructure itself and the land it sits on, potentially lowering the appraised value of the property.

“It's going to restrict what appraisal districts can do in increasing the value in those surrounding area — basically because of what it's for, not penalizing the owners of that property either for the building of the fence or the land that it sits on,” Hidalgo County Assistant Chief Appraiser Jorg

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