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Brown County resident urges easier access to driver—s license services, says homestead exemption threatened by address issues
Summary
At a county meeting, resident Don Jones described difficulty contacting the Texas driver—s license office and said a one-digit address change on his property could jeopardize his homestead exemption; commissioners acknowledged the concern and offered to contact a congressional office.
Don Jones, a Brown County resident, told commissioners he struggled to update his address with the Texas Department of Public Safety—s driver—s license office after moving 100 yards on his property and warned the change could affect his homestead exemption.
Jones said the state—s homestead-exemption process requires periodic reexamination under a "new law every five years," and that the appraisal district had told him an address discrepancy could lead to withholding an exemption. "I went to change my my address—...My homestead exemption—...it has to be reexamined regarding the new law every 5 years," Jones said. He described multiple failed attempts to use the agency—s phone numbers and online appointment system.
Jones gave two phone numbers (325-646-6867 and 325-646-0180) that he said routed callers into a lengthy automated process and said the agency—s online forms time out before he can complete them. He also read his driver—s license number (04131409) and said repeated timeouts prevented him from finishing the online update.
Jones said he contacted several offices, including the U.S. senator—s office (John Cornyn) and a federal aging agency; he said a staffer offered to connect him with a congressional office in San Angelo and that he expected further outreach. He also told commissioners the Brown County Appraisal District had advised him to update his driver—s license after the district asked him to change his address.
The presiding official at the meeting responded that contacting the congressional representative—s office (referred to as Spiller—s office in the record) was good advice and said, "I will call Spiller's office for you." The official did not identify a formal county action to change state procedures.
Jones asked the commissioners to "take some kind of action" to improve access to driver—s license services for Brown County residents; commissioners did not record a formal motion related to his request during the portions of the transcript provided.
Clarifying details Jones offered included the specific phone numbers he dialed, his driver—s license number as he recited it, and his claim that the homestead-exemption reexamination occurs every five years. He also named local officials who he said could vouch for his character (Sheriff Vance Hill and Dr. Charles Cooper) and thanked Joel Kelton for assisting him with the driver's license appointment.
The public comment closed with no formal county directive recorded in the transcript excerpt. Jones said he was speaking "for the people of the state of Texas and the citizens of Brown County" and urged that the county pursue improvements in access to state driver—s license services.
