James Quintero is the policy director for the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Government for the People campaign. Since joining the Foundation in 2008, Quintero has focused extensively on: state & local government spending, taxes, debt, public pension reform, annexation, and local regulations.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has just released some revealing new data on public school superintendent salaries—and the detail has already prompted a bit of minor outrage online. The dissatisfaction appears rooted in the fact that, despite lackluster student outcomes and a persistent affordability crisis, the top-end of the superintendent salary spectrum grew to astounding...
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...
A Central Texas school district is in hot water after its staff allegedly “creat[ed] a Mexican-American lesson plan teaching that immigration law amounts to the oppression of minorities.” The shocking incident occurred at Round Rock ISD, a relatively large ISD north of Austin with a history of controversy, and was exposed by a watchdog group,...
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...
The city of Austin’s controversial rail scheme (Project Connect) may soon be headed for disaster. On Friday, the Texas Attorney General’s Office issued a series of devastating findings about the way in which the city has sought to finance its costly endeavor. According to the Lone Star Standard, the AG’s office took issue with the...
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...