Income Tax

Which Local Governments Want to Borrow Big this May?

On May 4, 2024, voters across Texas will go to the polls to say YEA or NAY to billions in new debt put forward by various local governmental entities. Most, if not all, of these bond proposals will put some upward pressure on people’s tax bills, so it’s important that voters keep alert as to...

Governments Lobbying Government: City of Houston

Every year, local governments in Texas spend millions upon millions to influence state-level policymaking. These advocacy campaigns are funded with tax dollars and often employ external lobbyists (i.e. registered lobbyists), internal lobbyists (i.e. intergovernmental relations personnel), and pro-government associations (i.e. Texas Municipal League, Texas Association of Counties, Texas Association of School Boards, etc.). One local...

Responding to Bryan ISD Budget Crisis Claim

As school districts across Texas begin to consider their 2024-25 budgets, which will likely be adopted in the late summer and early fall, many top-ranking officials are complaining about the difficult fiscal environment, suggesting they don’t have enough to make it through. In Bryan ISD, for example, one official warned about the district’s dire circumstances,...