In the communities of Northeast Texas, political races often hinge on promises of fiscal responsibility, limited government and conservative values. Enter Josh Bray, a candidate vying for the open Texas State House seat in District 1, which covers communities from Texarkana, to Paris, to Atlanta.
Bray, who currently serves on the Board of Regents for Paris Junior College in Place 8,1 is campaigning as a staunch conservative, ready to take on Austin’s bureaucratic machine. But a closer look at his recent actions to raise property taxes at the local level should leave taxpayers concerned with what he could do at the state level.
Paris Junior College
Let’s rewind a few months ago to August 25, 2025. That day, while fulfilling his duties on the Paris Junior College Board of Regents, Bray voted to approve a property tax increase for those under the college’s taxing jurisdiction. On the surface, it might not sound like much of a red flag. After all, the actual tax rate dipped slightly by 0.38%, which could be spun as a win for taxpayers. But dig a little deeper, and the truth tells a different story.
This new rate represented a whopping 7.992% jump over the “no-new-revenue” tax rate—the benchmark that would keep taxes revenue-neutral without adding extra burden on property owners.
In plain English, Bray essentially voted to hike people’s property taxes by nearly 8% less than six months ago.
But it gets worse. Increasing property appraisals in the region (and across the entire state) amplified the impact. For the average homeowner in the area, this translated to a 9.13% increase in their tax bill. And when you consider all taxable properties, property taxes jumped 9.85% because of this new tax rate that Bray supported.2
This comes at a time when families are already grappling with rising prices on essential needs. Add to that the skyrocketing property tax loads from cities, counties, and school districts, taxpayers are getting squeezed from all sides.
Conservative Principles
Conservatives have long championed holding the line on taxes, especially during tough economic times. Bray’s vote flies in the face of that principle. It’s one thing to talk a big game about cutting government spending and easing taxpayer burdens; it’s another to actually do it when you’re in the decision-making seat. This isn’t some abstract policy debate—it’s real money coming out of hardworking Texans’ pockets.
As a regent, he had the platform to push back, to advocate for struggling taxpayers. Instead, he willingly supported taking more money from struggling Texas families.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen candidates campaign on conservative values only to reveal a softer stance once in power. The outgoing representative, State Rep. Gary Vandeaver, constantly campaigned as a conservative, but consistently failed taxpayers when it came to policy making and voting, earning a career F on the Fiscal Responsibility Index.3
House District 1 is home to voters who prize self-reliance and distrust big government interventions. They expect representatives who will fight tooth and nail against unnecessary tax hikes, not enable them.
All Hat and No Cattle
Bray’s bid for the Texas Legislature amplifies these concerns, and makes Bray’s campaign slogans ring a bit hollow. His campaign website even says that he will fight for “lower taxes.” But if he’s willing to raise taxes at the local level, what might he do in Austin, where the stakes are exponentially higher? The Texas House deals with budgets in the billions, property tax reforms (or lack thereof) that affect millions, and policies that could either alleviate or exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis.
As property taxes continue to skyrocket, the last thing families need is another politician talking conservative while voting otherwise.
Taxpayers in Northeast Texas, and across the state, should be wary.
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