Pocket Facts

January 24, 2005

Facts and recommendations taken from “Changing Texas’ Tax System: A Fair Tax for Texas?” by economists Richard Vedder and Byron Schlomach.

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These 12 Small & Mid-Sized Cities and Counties are Threatening Huge Tax Hikes

Many small and mid-sized cities and counties are right now considering tax rates that, if ultimately adopted, will result in homeowners paying higher taxes. In some cases, those threatened tax hikes are dramatic. To better understand which Texas taxpayers are in the danger zone, I recently surveyed numerous Notices of Public Hearing on Tax Increase,...

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Texas cities are pouring unprecedented amounts of taxpayer money into homelessness services, yet the crisis on the streets continues to visibly worsen. From Dallas to Austin, budgets for housing initiatives expand every year, but the encampments remain. Taxpayers are justifiably wondering where exactly all their money is going. The answer, according to a new research...

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Every year, local governments in Texas spend millions upon millions to influence state-level policymaking. These advocacy campaigns are funded with tax dollars and often employ external lobbyists (i.e. registered lobbyists), internal lobbyists (i.e. intergovernmental relations personnel), and pro-government associations (i.e. Texas Municipal League, Texas Association of Counties, Texas Association of School Boards, etc.). One local...

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