Ethan Xu is a first-year economics student at The University of Texas at Austin. He serves as an editor at The Texas Horn, an award-winning newspaper at The University of Texas at Austin, and also attends Austin Korean Presbyterian Church. Outside of school, Ethan enjoys playing basketball and the piano.
As school districts across Texas begin to consider their 2024-25 budgets, which will likely be adopted in the late summer and early fall, many top-ranking officials are complaining about the difficult fiscal environment, suggesting they don’t have enough to make it through. In Bryan ISD, for example, one official warned about the district’s dire circumstances,...
Last week, New Braunfels ISD trustees committed to spend $4.3 million to fund 70.5 full-time positions in perpetuity. While the district’s staffing decision might seem unimportant at first, it actually hints at a large and growing problem becoming increasingly common in local budget matters. See, 26 of the 70.5 full-time positions were originally funded through...
Earlier this week, San Antonio ISD officials complained that “tough decisions” lie ahead as budget deliberations began in earnest. Some even lamented that, absent drastic action, SAISD would be forced into “cutting hundreds of staff positions” across the district. The source of district’s budget woes, according to the superintendent, was three-fold: “stagnant state funding, declining...
On May 4, 2024, voters across Texas will go to the polls to say YEA or NAY to billions in new debt put forward by various local governmental entities. Most, if not all, of these bond proposals will put some upward pressure on people’s tax bills, so it’s important that voters keep alert as to...
Just two weeks ago, on March 20, 2024, the Fair Representation Act was introduced to the 118th Congress in D.C. and cosponsored by seven Democrat members of Congress. This piece of federal legislation would mandate ranked choice voting (RCV) for all U.S. House and Senate elections. Despite proponents of RCV claiming that it would strengthen...
City governments spend millions every year to influence state-level policymaking in Austin. Armed with Other People’s Money, city officials 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.) to push ideas that promote or...
Every year, cities, counties, school districts, and special districts spend gobs of taxpayer money to influence state elected officials and policymaking. The monies committed go to pay for a mix of 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...
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...
Cities, counties, school districts, and special districts spend tens of millions every year to influence state policymakers at the Texas Capitol. Using taxpayer money, these entities 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,...
Texas’ local governments spend tens of millions every year to influence state-level decision-making. These publicly-funded advocacy campaigns are oftentimes led by or receive help from 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...
Inflation continues to run hotter than expected, further eroding purchasing power and putting a considerable strain on household budgets. Even in Texas. In fact, a new study suggests the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex had the worst inflation rate of any metropolitan area in the U.S. The study indicates the region experienced a remarkable 5.3% change in...
A city manager in Bozeman, Montana is in hot water after publicly slamming the city of Austin and the prospect of taking a job there. Perhaps most shocking of all, the now-suspended city manager claimed that the position came with a base salary of $475,000 plus “ the car allowance, the housing allowance, all the...