The filed House supplemental appropriations bill, HB2, would appropriate $1.4 billion from Texas’ Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF), also known as the Rainy Day Fund. However, a committee substitute for HB2 (CSHB2) was recently outlined in the House Appropriations Committee that would increase the appropriation from the ESF to $2.4 billion, which together with $957 million from general revenue (GR) and $1.8 billion from federal funds, would bring the total cost of the supplemental bill to $5.2 billion. An examination of the numbers shows that this is far too costly for taxpayers and that there is no need to use any money from the ESF.
Trends in Texas Governments: City of Garland
The city of Garland’s property tax is skyrocketing, especially as compared to basic economic measures, like population and inflation. According to its latest available Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), the city’s property tax levy rose from $70,801,851 in 2013 to $138,853,429 in 2022, equating to a 96.1% spike in monies to the government (see pg....