Texas state and local governments are expected to spend $18 billion in federal economic stimulus or over $700 for every man, woman, and child in the state; but has all that government spending been worth it? To answer this we examine the growth and decline of some of the state’s major economic indicators since the stimulus came to Texas.
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