Both Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and KTRE News in Lufkin drew the ire of city officials in Livingston and Corrigan this week following bombastic and inaccurate allegations.
Paxton’s office issued a press release Thursday stating that he was sending letters prohibiting over 130 Texas cities from illegally raising taxes after failing to be transparent with taxpayers. Two of the cities listed were Livingston and Corrigan.
KTRE jumped on it immediately, incorrectly reporting that Paxton found the listed cities had already raised tax rates illegally – which was not the case.
“It is a gross misrepresentation on the part of (KTRE) that the City of Livingston has been ‘accused of illegally raising taxes,’” Assistant City Manager Ellie Monteaux said, adding, “The City of Livingston has not imposed an ad valorem tax since the late 1980s.”
Corrigan Mayor Johnna Lowe Gibson also responded.
“The City of Corrigan has been in compliance with Texas Local Government Code Chapter 103 since April 21, 2026. Any suggestion otherwise is incorrect. We take transparency, accountability, and compliance with state law very seriously. False reporting can unnecessarily damage the reputation of cities, elected officials, and employees who work hard to serve their communities responsibly,” Gibson said.
“We appreciate the citizens of Corrigan and will continue operating with integrity and in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations,” Gibson said.
SB 1851 – which bars cities from raising property taxes above the no-new-revenue rate if they do not meet Texas’s financial statement audit and transparency requirements – was passed during the 2025 legislative session and then enacted into law.
Last month Paxton demanded documents from over 1,000 municipalities as part of an ongoing investigation to determine statewide compliance with SB 1851. That led to the identification of over 130 cities that allegedly failed to comply with the statutory requirements for the new fiscal year.
Eric Carver with Carr, Riggs & Ingram LLC, formerly Axley and Rode, presented the City of Livingston’s annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2025 to the Livingston City Council during its May 12 meeting, apologizing for being late with it.
