The passing of HB 14 (2023) in the 88th Texas Legislature has led to reduced wait times for construction permits. For example, a November 2024 memorandum from the City of Dallas stated, “the October 2024 median issuance time for New Construction Commercial Permits dropped to 112 days, the lowest median time of 2024 and one of the lowest since 2021” (Letter from Robin Bentley, 2024). It is on the success of HB 14 that in the 89th Texas Legislature, Senate Bill 1450 (2025) has been filed to ensure that the legislative intent of the previous session is fully expressed.
Taxes & Spending
Assessing Tax Trends in Fort Bend County
Does history suggest that property taxes are too high in Fort Bend County? And, if so, have local decision-makers actively helped or hurt the situation? To help answer these questions, let’s review the county’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...
March 8, 2026