Texas’ government budget is up an excessive 11.8 percent above increases in compounded population growth plus inflation since the 2004-05 budget, and some legislators are frustrated with the budget process because the money saved by cutting spending in one area is often reallocated elsewhere resulting in no reduction in the overall budget. To resolve this problem while relieving taxpayers from the burden of paying higher taxes, we recommend creating the Sales Tax Reduction (STaR) Fund.
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