DALLAS — When the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge opened more than a decade ago, it connected downtown Dallas to West Dallas, one of the poorest parts of the city. With the new bridge came a spike of new development interest in the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, once largely cut off from the city’s urban core.
As that newfound interest mounted, so did property tax bills. As homeowners in the neighborhood increasingly worried about their climbing tax bills, community advocates came to a realization: many hadn’t claimed a benefit that might have helped keep those bills in check.
That benefit: the homestead exemption, which shaves at least $140,000 off the value that school districts tax and triggers more property tax savings if cities and counties offer their own exemptions…