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.
Things have gotten expensive in Austin. According to Salary.com, the cost of living is reportedly 9.1% higher than the national average, with the largest differentials being observed in health care, food and housing. The cost of childcare is also relatively high, with the average annual payment totaling $8,759. “This cost is ranked NO. 31 nationally.”...
Where have we heard this before? A city adopts a new tax rate that is technically a decrease, but due to rising appraisals, taxpayers will actually end up paying more. This sort of stealth tax increase has become ubiquitous, and now the city of Houston, Texas largest city, becomes the latest jurisdiction hike taxes in...
The city of Dallas just raised everyone’s taxes. Despite growing angst over affordability, a majority of Dallas city councilmembers voted last week to increase the tax burden on working families by adopting a tax rate of $0.7357 per $100 of value. By setting the tax rate at this level, City Hall chose to go well...
There is an affordability crisis in Texas, and local governments are making it worse. With bloated budgets and reckless spending, cities are making it difficult for Texans to own a home and raise a family. The city of Dallas, for example, recently passed a nearly $5 billion budget—the largest in the city’s history. The budget...
On Tuesday, Travis County commissioners approved a controversial new budget for Central Health that has many wondering why the hospital district is spending so much. In the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, Central Health will spend a whopping $744 million, which is “an effective 18.4% year-over-year budget increase.” You read that right—the district’s...
Last week, the Beaumont City Council gave its unanimous approval to a $329.7 million budget and a new tax rate for fiscal year 2024, both of which will add financial pressure to already-strained family budgets. Beginning Oct. 1, the new tax rate is $0.681485 per $100 of value, which represents a very minor decrease...
Last week, Central Health, Travis County’s hospital district, presented its Fiscal Year 2024 budget to the Travis County Commissioners Court. Under the proposed budget, the health care district would spend $744 million in total, “an increase from 2023’s $628.5 million.” That’s nearly a 20% increase year-over-year. To support all the new spending, it’s seeking a...
UPDATE: The city of Austin has announced it will postpone the tree’s removal while it “reviews additional considerations.” The Celebration of Life has also been postponed. Every once in a while, the city of Austin does something so batty that you have to do a double take. Like the time its Equity Office proposed renaming...
Dallas County, the second most populous county in Texas, is threatening taxpayers with a double-digit tax hike. On Sept. 12, county commissioners will convene a special meeting to discuss next year’s tax rate, which is proposed at $0.215718 per $100 of value. If adopted, the proposed rate would mark a very minor decrease of 1%...
The city of Bryan looks like it will soon hammer homeowners and businesses with a major tax increase. On Tuesday, the Bryan City Council gave its unanimous approval to a $503.7 million budget for fiscal year 2024, which begins on Oct. 1. To support all of this spending, city council also considered and preliminarily approved...
On Sept. 12, the Kerrville City Council is expected to meet and consider adopting a tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year. And if city hall decides to move forward with what’s been proposed, then the average homeowner could see an almost double-digit increase in city taxes. According to its Notice of Public Hearing on...
Earlier today, a Travis County district court judge found in favor of several left-leaning cities and deemed unconstitutional House Bill 2127, an ambitious new law aimed at stopping the progressive agenda using a concept known as “field preemption.” While the court’s rationale was not entirely clear, the judge was seemingly persuaded by the city of...