In the course of debating Senate Bill 1760—a bill to increase transparency and accountability in the local property tax system—Senators overwhelmingly approved the adoption of a floor amendment to require local governments to reach a higher voting threshold before raising property taxes.
Among the top ten most populous states in the nation, local debt in the Lone Star State was the second highest overall, at $219.7 billion. Only California’s local governments had amassed more, at $269.2 billion.
It’s not hard to understand the motive for this sort of protectionist pension policy. Erecting a bureaucratic barrier to local reform benefits the status quo and, in many instances, prevents change from taking place, even though it might be needed.
Earlier today, the state’s Comptroller unveiled the Texas Taxpayer Bill of Rights, a set of 10 guiding principles that will help steer the agency and better protect taxpayers.
"Testimony: Ten Facts About Texas’ Property Tax" contains James Quintero's testimony regarding property taxes.
In light of today’s hearing in Senate Finance on Senate Bill 182, a measure to bring long-term structural reform to Texas’ property tax system.
Voters aren’t provided with enough information at the ballot box to make an informed decision on debt, and it’s helping to create a tidal wave of red ink.
While finding common ground between the Left and Right is becoming more and more difficult to do in today’s hyper-politicized environment, it’s heartening to see that there are still some areas that we, as Texans, can all agree—like the need for transparency and accountability in government, especially as it relates to economic development deals.
Ultimately, it’s in Texans’ best interests if state and local policymakers look to liberty, not local control, as their guiding principle.
While the Senate’s version of local pension control takes a slightly different tack than the House version, HB 2608, both measures promise to break down bureaucratic barriers to local control and, in many instances, give community stakeholders a seat at the table.
This issue and the need to restore community oversight was explored more in-depth today in a Houston Chronicle article by TPPF Board Member Windi Grimes. The piece calls on lawmakers to “restore local control of these state-governed pension plans with sweetheart deals.”
Should some favored local retirement systems be immune to local control? Some lawmakers don’t think so and a bill was filed yesterday to remedy this situation.