Like a parent preparing to discipline unruly children, the Texas Legislature is getting ready to rein in local governments on everything from taxation to regulation to annexation and more. And city officials are none too happy about it. The latest high-profile flare-up came courtesy of Austin Mayor Steve Adler, who used his State of the...
Have you heard about the small South Texas school district that built a $20 million water park using state tax dollars? Or that this same school district lost almost $250,000 in the park’s first year up-and-running? Or that it also owns a golf course and that also ran a deficit last year of $300,000? Well,...
La Joya ISD is back in the news again, and not for good reason. Many of us learned recently that the small, underperforming district spent $20 million to build a water park—and that a lot of that funding came from state taxpayers. It was also discovered that the district lost roughly $250,000 running the park...
If the 86th legislative session were a football game, then the home team — the Texas Tax Reformers, of course — is battling back, with two minutes to go, and there’s a chance for overtime. The good news, at least, is that they have the ball and they’re driving. With almost every homeowner cheering them...
Forced annexation appears headed for the dustbin of history. Prior to 2017, Texas cities could unilaterally poach property just outside their official boundaries. The conscripted property owners were usually forced to swallow higher taxes, tougher regulations, and old public debts. That didn’t sit well with a lot of folks, including a big, bipartisan group of...
Former President John Adams once said: “Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people.” Adams’ sage advice carries a special meaning as we celebrate Sunshine Week 2019. Sunshine Week is a time set aside for educating the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of sustained secrecy. This year’s theme...
Property taxes in Texas have skyrocketed over the last two decades. But state lawmakers may be getting ready to finally rein them in. Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen recently unveiled a historic property tax reform package and announced that identical bills — Senate Bill 2 and House Bill...
When property tax reform—embodied in Senate Bill 2 and its companion, House Bill 2—comes before the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, local governments and their lobbyists will be out in force to testify against it. Many expect a repeat performance of what transpired in a packed Senate committee hearing earlier this month, with...
City governments need to get back to the basics. Instead of focusing on the fundamentals, too many city councils — especially in large urban areas — are playing politics in areas where they don’t belong. As Sen. Donna Campbell recently put it: “City officials need to get their nose out of the private sector and...
The City of Austin likes to spend money. The latest example of local largesse comes from Austin’s Art in Public Places (AIPP) program, which is run by the city’s Economic Development Department. AIPP currently has three job openings for Art in Public Places Coordinators. These new employees will be responsible for “recommend[ing], develop[ing], and assist[ing] with...
By now, most people have heard about the small, underperforming school district in the Valley that spent state money to build a $20 million water park. But as it turns out, the story gets even worse. According to Progress Times, La Joya ISD’s water park has also become a drain on its annual budget. “During...
State leaders appear poised to boost public education funding in a big way. A few weeks ago, the Texas House published its version of the new state budget for 2020-21. In it, lawmakers call for a roughly $7 billion increase in K-12 spending — but only if certain things happen first, like reducing recapture, providing...