THE WATER COOLER FROM FACEBOOK.COM/STATESMAN

As reported by the AmericanStatesman’s Andra Lim and Melissa B. Taboada, Austin taxpayers getting their property tax bills in the coming weeks could see an increase of a couple of hundred bucks. Even though new elected officials have taken steps — separately and together — to try to make living in the area more affordable, the increase in the overall tax bill for the owner of a medianvalued home in Austin will be $242.

Bobby McBride: Austin has a spending problem and is one of the worst-run cities in the nation, so many have already been taxed out of the city.

Jeff Daniel: Folks, if you don’t like it, make your voices heard at the ballot box. The ridiculously low turnout in City Council races last November means most taxpayers have chosen to not be heard. And after the election, make sure that your rep walks the talk.

Trey William Amrhein: Welcome to the new California.

Jon Best: I heard that the feds will not increase this year’s Social Security payments due to lack of inflation. So why does our governments need to increase their taxes?

Laura Lopez: Austin is an expensive town to live in.

Monte G. Mathis: I would comment on the article but having spent my life in Austin, Texas mostly making under $30k a year despite working significantly harder and more efficiently than my superiors, and having ended up with an extreme mental illness and having been turned down for social security disability despite still being 100% eligible, I can’t personally afford to pay for the Austin American-Statesman online article.

Blaze Callahan: I had to sell my house because I could not afford to pay the property taxes. When I moved into my 1950s-era duplex 11 years ago, it was already almost $5,000; now it’s just over $8,000 — and that’s including yearly protests and a homestead discount.

Jayna Dixon: Great. This combined with my home insurance increasing by 50 percent is going to kill me. The American Dream dies at our taxes. This has to stop.

Steve Murrieta: How about politicians stop giving themselves raises and take a pay cut instead — then there won’t have to be taxes raised on homeowners

Brian Rogers: Pretty sure the plan is that “Austinites” are to move out and make way for the nomadic wealthy.

Richard Carroll: Did you move here from out of state within the past five years? Pay up.

Sandee Melko Paoloemilio: In my opinion, if you don’t have an additional $242 for your house taxes, maybe you shouldn’t own a house.