A report by the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association (TTARA) that citizens are beginning to realize their property taxes are increasing in line with the value of their homes.

Texas school districts, cities and counties rely heavily on property taxes to pay for roads, libraries, police, firefighters and public schools. But lowering tax bills has long been a difficult endeavor.

If you’re like every other homeowner in Texas right now, you’ve looked at your property tax bill and then promptly put it back down just in case the numbers might change if you pretend you never opened the envelope.

Per state law, all homeowners are protected by a 10% appraisal cap — any appraisal increase above 10% is exempt from taxation — a provision put together just for a situation like today’s real estate market.

There’s support among lawmakers for helping Texans with the costs of property taxes as the housing market booms. The question is how that will be done.