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Page 20 - The Indian EYE 052226
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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   MAY 22, 2026     |  The Indian Eye 20

             Annette Ramirez Discusses Taxes, Voting

                       & County Services at IAPAC Forum

            OUR BUREAU
            Houston, TX
                  he  Indian  American  Public
                  Affairs  Council  (IAPAC)  suc-
            Tcessfully  hosted  another  im-
            pactful  edition  of  its  Conversations
            Over Coffee community engagement
            series,  featuring  Harris  County  Tax
            Assessor-Collector Annette Ramirez.
            The event brought together commu-
            nity members, civic leaders, and res-
            idents  for  an  informative  discussion
            on property taxes, exemptions, voter
            registration, vehicle registrations, and
            modernization  initiatives  impacting
            Harris County residents.
                Held  at  Winfield’s  Chocolate  ities at branch offices, and modernize
            Bar in Houston, the forum provided  voter registration infrastructure. She
            attendees with direct access to one of  explained that Harris County is tran-
            the county’s key public officials and  sitioning to a new voter registration
            encouraged  open  dialogue  around  system with enhanced GIS and map-
            navigating  complex  tax  systems,  un-  ping capabilities to improve accuracy
            derstanding taxpayer rights, and im-  and operational efficiency.
            proving civic participation.          Ramirez  also  discussed  voter
                The event was organized and  registration  procedures,  important
            opened by Barath Menon, who wel-  registration  deadlines,  and  the  var-
            comed  attendees  and  emphasized  ious  ways  residents  can  register  to
            the  importance  of  civic  awareness  vote,  including  the  documentation
            and  community  engagement.  The  required.  She  reiterated  the  impor-
            discussion was moderated by Sindhu  tance  of  maintaining  the  integrity
            Menon, Harris County Executive Di-  and authenticity of voter registration
            rector & Chief Information Officer,  records  and  explained  the  multiple   Annette Ramirez - Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector with Jagat Kamdar (left) IAPAC
            who  guided  the  conversation  across  safeguards and verification processes   Founder and Sindhu Menon (right) Harris County Executive Director & Chief Information Officer
            several  topics  relevant  to  home-  built into the system to address con-            at the Conversations over Coffee event.
            owners, business owners, and voters  cerns related to voter fraud and en-
            throughout Harris County.         sure election integrity.          tax  protests,  public  awareness,  and  in local businesses and coffee shops
                During    the   conversation,     A significant portion of the dis-  disparities  in  protest  participation  to encourage civic dialogue and pub-
            Ramirez  highlighted  several  mod-  cussion  focused  on  property  tax  ex-  across different communities in Har-  lic  engagement.  He  noted  that  the
            ernization efforts undertaken by the  emptions  and  ways  residents  can  ris  County.  Ramirez  discussed  on-  initiative, which began in the Greater
            Harris  County  Tax  Assessor-Col-  reduce  their  tax  burden.  Ramirez  going  outreach  initiatives,  including  Houston area, has now expanded to
            lector’s  Office  to  improve  accessi-  emphasized  the  importance  of  neighborhood  block-walking  cam-  Dallas and San Antonio.
            bility  and  customer  experience  for  homestead  exemptions,  over-65  ex-  paigns aimed at educating homeown-  The  forum  concluded  with  a
            residents.  Discussing  the  launch  of  emptions, disability exemptions, and  ers  about  available  exemptions  and  Vote  of  Thanks  by  Indrani  Sirkar,
            MyHarrisCountyTax.com,  an  online  business  personal  property  exemp-  protest procedures.         Secretary of IAPAC, who expressed
            platform  designed  to  simplify  prop-  tions. She noted that many residents   Attendees  also  learned  about  appreciation to Annette Ramirez for
            erty tax payments and account man-  are still unfamiliar with the property  payment  plans  available  for  delin-  providing valuable and insightful in-
            agement, Ramirez explained that the  tax system or unaware that they may  quent taxes, penalties associated with  formation  and  thanked  community
            goal was to make the system “easier,  qualify for exemptions, stressing that  unpaid balances, and recent legisla-  members  for  their  active  participa-
            more efficient, and more accessible”  “education and outreach are critical  tive  updates  affecting  homeowners  tion in making the event a success.
            for taxpayers.                    to ensuring residents can fully benefit  and small businesses.          A  special  acknowledgment  was
                The  platform  enables  residents  from the programs available to them.”  Barath  Menon,  IAPAC  Board  also  extended  to  Jo  Sauter,  Gener-
            to create personal accounts, manage   She encouraged homeowners to  Member,  reiterated  the  importance  al Manager of Winfield’s Chocolate
            multiple  properties  in  one  location,  verify that all eligible exemptions are  of  civic  awareness  and  community  Bar, for graciously providing compli-
            receive payment reminders, establish  properly filed with the Harris Central  engagement. Naveen Kochoth, Presi-  mentary coffee for attendees.
            payment plans, and set up automatic  Appraisal District (HCAD), explain-  dent of IAPAC, shared the vision be-  Community  feedback  highlight-
            bank withdrawals.                 ing that exemptions can substantially  hind the Conversations Over Coffee  ed that the session addressed a highly
                Ramirez also discussed efforts to  lower annual property tax obligations.  series, explaining that these informal  relevant topic and offered practical,
            replace  outdated  county  technology   The conversation also addressed  neighborhood gatherings are de-  timely guidance that residents found
            systems, improve transaction capabil-  challenges  surrounding  property  signed to bring communities together  both valuable and informative.

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