Over the last several legislative sessions, the Legislature has enacted reforms that have resulted in a historic transformation of the Texas child welfare system. Today, the Department of Family and Protective Services removes fewer children into foster care and protects more children from abuse and neglect than ever before. Texas has become an example for the entire nation of how to successfully prioritize keeping kids with their families while keeping them safe. House Bill 2216builds on this success by improving the quality of services provided by DFPS to prevent foster care entries and strengthen families.
Taxes & Spending
Assessing Tax Trends in the City of Arlington
Does history suggest that property taxes are too high in the city of Arlington? And, if so, have local decision-makers actively helped or hurt the situation? To help answer these questions, let’s review the city’s 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and gather four types of data—i.e., tax levies, local population, total tax rates, and taxable values—over a 10-year time horizon. Using these audited estimates, we can gauge the growth of government (i.e., tax levy trends), assess its reasonability...
February 20, 2026