State Sen. Van Taylor, R-Plano, announced today he will hold a Senate Property Tax Reform and Relief Committee public hearing Oct. 3 at the Collin College Spring Creek Campus in Plano. Taylor said he requested the committee hold a hearing in Collin County to hear directly from local homeowners affected by rising property taxes. The hearing will take place at 10 a.m. in the Living Legends Conference Center on the campus, located at 2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway. “When I hear the fear in a person’s voice, worried they might have to sell their home because the tax burden has grown too immense, my blood boils. Government exists to secure the rights of the people not tax people out of their homes,” Taylor said in a news release. “The appraisal system in Texas was not designed as a vehicle for local governments to subvert the will of the people with backdoor means to increase taxes and government spending. Any system, which seeks to silence the people, belittles the principles of our Republic and cries out for reform.” Residents may offer public testimony during the public hearing about their experiences, thoughts, and/or opinions on the property tax system in Texas. Public comments will be limited to three minutes. Speakers will need to submit 20 copies of their testimony with their name on each copy to the committee during the hearing. People wishing to testify should be prepared for long waits potentially lasting up to several hours, Taylor said. For questions about the public hearing, contact Taylor's office at 972-398-9416.