On Dec. 12, the Chronicle reported that Harris County settled a lawsuit brought by Clear Channel Outdoor over the visibility of one of their billboards. The 25-foot tall billboard had a value for tax purposes of about $21,800, yet the county paid Clear Channel $525,000 for a billboard visibility easement and permitted Clear Channel to keep the billboard and raise it 10 feet higher. (Please see "County must pay $525,000 for sign / I-10 bridge built too high for billboard," City and State cover.)

We are unaware of any other type of property that receives this kind of special treatment. From an economic view as well as from a scenic view, the public came out on the losing end. And while easements for billboard visibility may be fairly new, this special treatment for billboard companies is not new.

According to the Harris County Appraisal District records, 2,692 Harris County billboards are listed on the tax rolls at an average value of only $14,100. But recent court filings illustrate that billboard companies claim values from 50 to 100 times their assessed value when a billboard becomes subject to condem-nation proceedings. How can a billboard be worth $14,100 for taxation purposes but be worth from $700,000 to $1.4 million for condemnation purposes?

Consider the actual tax losses to governmental entities in Harris County. All bill-boards in the county are listed on the tax rolls for a total of about $38 million in taxable value. But if they were carried on the tax rolls at the same values as those claimed by bill-board companies at condemna-tion, county governmental entities would not be losing between $46.5 million and $95 million in taxes per year (between 50 to 100 times the assessed value).

Why should homeowners and businesses subsidize multibillion dollar billboard companies?

Meanwhile, other property owners don't get this special deal. Homes and businesses are carried on the tax rolls at fair market value, so the owners pay taxes accordingly. And if condemned, the owners of those properties will be paid fair market value. That seems fair — we pay taxes on a home based on a fair market value of $150,000, and we get paid the $150,000 fair market value of the home if ever condemned. Why shouldn't the same principle apply to multibillion dollar billboard companies?

This billboard valuation discrepancy was recently discussed in the Texas Sunset Commission and has been referred to the Texas Legis-lature for reform. Fortunately, since the Legislature doesn't convene until January, there should be plenty of time for legislators to draft a bill that equalizes the treatment of homeowners and billboard companies.