This brief Policy Perspective explores the way governments in Texas compete with the private sector in a number of commercial markets. While the commercial activities of governments in Texas and throughout the nation are expanding, pre-emption of the private sector by other nations has been steadily decreasing since the 1980’s. Today, many nations have gone farther than the United States in limiting the activities of government in the marketplace.
Taxes & Spending
Assessing Tax Trends in Hidalgo County
Does history suggest that property taxes are too high in Hidalgo County? And, if so, have local decision-makers actively helped or hurt the situation? To help answer these questions, let’s review the county’s 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and gather four types of data—i.e., tax levies, local population, total tax rates, and taxable values—over a 10-year time horizon. Using...
March 9, 2026