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.
In response to the pandemic, Congress passed several bills, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), that boosted public education funding by “nearly $190.5 billion.” The massive aid was provided in hopes of reversing learning loss, but instead, many school districts seem to be frittering...
Something happened last week that hasn’t happened in a long time—for the first time in a decade, Texas voters said “NO” to most school district bonds. Here’s more from The Texan: “Last week, a majority of proposed bonds on the November ballot failed for the first time since 2011, when only 17 of the 37...
Local governments appealed to Texas voters seeking lots of new debt this election cycle. According to The Texan: “Eighty-one localities have placed 149 different bond issues before their constituents on ballots across Texas, totaling nearly $11 billion.” For better or worse, voters approved a great deal of it. But not every bond proposition passed. In...
This November, Texas voters will be asked to make up their minds about 8 constitutional amendments that cover a wide range of issues, including: religious freedom, running for office, property taxes, and more. Here’s a little more detail on each. Proposition 1 (HJR 143): The constitutional amendment authorizing the professional sports team charitable foundations of...
On Monday, Dripping Springs ISD, a small school district just west of Austin, formally adopted its tax rate and set in motion a major tax increase. On a vote of 6-1, the DSISD board approved a total tax rate of $1.3103 per $100 of assessed value (M&O rate: $0.9603 per $100 of value/I&S rate: $0.35...
The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), a publicly-funded pro education establishment group, made an unusual change to its mission statement that raises an interesting question. Over the weekend, TASB added a new charge to its statement of beliefs, according to Austin ISD trustee Lynn Boswell, that targets the latest cause de jour: systemic racism....
“That government is best which governs least.” If we as conservatives believe this, then we should all be watching closely what happens in the Woodlands, a vibrant, growing township near Houston, Texas. With a population of more than 100,000 now, the Woodlands began as a master-planned community envisioned by Texas magnate George P. Mitchell. Much...
Public school superintendents are some of the highest paid government employees in Texas, oftentimes raking in several times what other top officials earn, like the governor. Their enormous pay is outsized when compared to national standards too. From the University of Texas at Arlington: “In the United States, the average annual salary of a school...
A shocking number of Texas public school districts are in open violation of the governor’s executive order prohibiting mask and vaccine mandates. According to the Texas Attorney General’s office, 109 school districts are either out of compliance, in active litigation, or have just had a lawsuit filed against them for violating the governor’s EO which...
Austin ISD, the largest government-run school district in Central Texas, has just proposed a big tax increase despite shrinking enrollment and overstuffed coffers brimming with federal aid. The move, which comes at a time when area food banks are “still seeing high demand,” has left many Austinites understandably frustrated. On Monday, the Austin American-Statesman reported...
It happens on the first Tuesday of every month. Bidders gather at the west entrance steps of the Smith County Courthouse, looking for bargains. At 10 a.m., the sales commence—properties are auctioned off to pay the taxes owed on them. Some are vacant lots and some are homes. All were seized from their owners over...
During the 87th Legislature’s regular session, state lawmakers considered multiple bills on extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) reform. While some of the more ambitious proposals—like House Bill 2573 and Senate Bill 1992—did not survive the process, one good piece of legislation—Senate Bill 1168—was indeed signed into law last month by the Gov. Greg Abbott. The bill represents...