A key Republican state senator has declared his opposition to a GOP priority bill that would restrict local property tax collections, saying it usurps too much control from local officials and the voters who elect them.

As mayors and county commissioners in recent days have sharply criticized legislation that would place strict limits on increasing property tax collections — saying the limits could force cuts in basic services — school district officials have remained on the sidelines as they await proposals to boost school spending.

AUSTIN — The three most powerful players in state government declared their unified support Thursday for an aggressive plan to place a 2.5-percent limit on property tax hikes enacted by school districts, cities and counties.

AUSTIN — In the opening days of the 2019 legislative session, the state’s three most powerful men sat shoulder to to shoulder, promoting unity and promising this year they’d win where others have failed for decades.

AUSTIN — Mary Nethery used to complain when the yearly property tax bill hit $5,000 for her 1,900-square-foot home in San Antonio. Now it’s pushing $9,000. In recent years, Nethery and other homeowners have shouldered an increasing burden for funding public schools in Texas, where property taxes climbed to the sixth-highest in the nation.