North Texas Tax Office Adopts 'In God We Trust' Motto

NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - The phrase is already on your money. The Tarrant County tax assessor thought it was fitting it should be on his office paperwork.

The national motto, "In God We Trust," is now printed on the back of tax office envelopes.

Tarrant County Tax Assessor/Collector Ron Wright said that next year the motto will also be printed on tax statements. "It's iconic," he told CBS 11 News. "It's part of who we are. It helps define us as Americans."

Wright said he had been thinking about adding the motto for about the last year. When there was a notice the office needed to order more envelopes, he decided it was a perfect time to add the phrase.

So far, the county has had only received one phone call from someone upset by the addition. Wright said some may see it as a religious statement, but he also sees it as patriotic. President Eisenhower signed a law making "In God We Trust" the national motto in 1956.

"I think it was more seeing the elimination of the phrase and how things that have been iconic to us and have been important to us historically because of lawsuits and things like that," Wright explained/ "People are almost afraid to mention God anywhere officially."

The only cost for the change was $3 to make the new plate for printing the four words.

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