These rollback petitions are examples for information purposes only. Both taxing units and taxpayers must be aware that the Property Tax Code does not specify the wording to be used on a rollback petition, nor does it state the form which the petition must take. The taxing unit's governing body is responsible for determining if a rollback petition presented to it is valid. Call the Secretary of State at 1-800-252-8683, Election Division, with questions on election laws. Election Code Chapter 277 requires the information on the sample petition below.Taxpayers must include several items of information on a rollback petition to assist the governing body in determining validity: date of signature, printed name of voter, birth date, and home address. If the taxing unit is located in more than one county, the voter must include the name of the county in which he or she resides.
Section 26.081, Property Tax Code, addresses petition signatures. To be valid, a voter's signature is not required to appear exactly as the voter's name appears on the most recent official voter registration list. If the taxing unit's governing body is unable to verify a particular voter's signature, it will look to the petition for some reasonable means to verify, such as home address. The governing body may require the petition's organizer to provide such information for that particular voter, if the organizer wishes for the signature to be counted. Signatures collected more than six months before the petition is presented are not valid.
Persons who are considering circulation of a rollback petition, or a governing body that is considering the validity of a rollback petition, should consult legal counsel for guidance.
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