Not all heroes wear capes—some simply skip a meeting or two. That’s how two Harris County commissioners blocked an onrushing property tax hike that would have cost taxpayers there an additional $245.2 million. By breaking quorum, Commissioners Tom Ramsey and Jack Cagle denied the Harris County Commissioners Court the supermajority it needed for a tax...
In 2019, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 477 into law in an attempt to improve debt transparency (something sorely needed given our fiscal condition). One of the new law’s chief features is the creation of a Voter Information Document (VID), an educational tool that taxpayers can use to learn about newly-proposed debt measures. In...
For whatever reason, Texas public schools seem to be engaged in an awful lot of election-related shenanigans recently. For instance, a few years ago Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued “cease and desist letters to Brazosport, Holliday and Lewisville Independent School Districts regarding violations of the Texas Education Code for unlawful electioneering.” Later that same...
Here they come again. On Election Day, more than 150 local governmental entities will ask Texas voters for permission to go $21 billion deeper into debt. The borrowing binge comes just as voters approved $24 billion at the ballot box in May. Using the Texas Bond Review Board’s Bond Elections Database, one thing about all...
Amarillo voters thought they had made themselves very clear: They weren’t interested in funding a new convention center. Two years ago, they shot down a $275 million bond proposal. No thanks, they said. To get around the voters, Amarillo city hall came up with a complex financing scheme that hinged on the issuance of $260...
It’s early October, which means that property tax rate-setting season is officially over. With the rate-setting process concluded, homeowners and businesses can finally get a sense of whether their property taxes are going up, headed down, or staying the same. In the past, Texans would have to navigate a complex web of public notices, agendas,...
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signaled that major property tax changes may be on the horizon. During last week’s televised debate, the governor outlined where he’d like to see Texas tax policy go, saying: “My goal is to eliminate the school property taxes imposed in the state of Texas so that people can genuinely own their...
We all expect voters to have the final say in election questions. A solemn acceptance of the votes cast, win or lose, has been the bedrock of American politics since the inception of the nation—to ignore it would be to deny the very essence of democratic governance and embrace a type of tyranny that elevates...
Ronald Reagan once observed that, “Whenever we lower the tax rates, our entire nation is better off.” The Texas version of that statement equates to: Whenever we lower property tax rates to the no-new-revenue level or lower, our entire state is better off. For those not familiar with the term, the no-new-revenue tax rate is...
On Wednesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pressed for property tax relief, telling a big crowd in Fairview that he wants to take half of the projected $27 billion state surplus and use it to reduce property taxes. If this happens, it’d make for the largest property tax cut in Texas history. The news is sure...
Former President Barack Obama once proclaimed that: “The last thing you want to do is raise taxes in the middle of the recession because that would just suck up and take more demand out of the economy and put businesses in a further hole.” Like a broken clock, he got that one right. Raising taxes...
When it comes to the affordability crisis gripping Austin, local government officials are renowned for saying one thing and doing the opposite. Consider Mayor Steve Adler’s campaign website which reads: “Too many of our long-time residents are being priced out of their homes. It wasn’t that long ago that Austin was one of the most...