In recent years, tax and expenditure limits – legal limits on how fast government spending and taxes can grow each year based on some measure of economic activity – have received increasing attention at the state level as a result of the success of Colorado’s Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights. Not all tax and expenditure limitation measures are created equal: Texas’ is one of the least effective in the nation.
Taxes & Spending
Austin’s rising utility fees are taxes by another name
Rising utility bills are one of many factors exacerbating Austin’s well-documented affordability crisis. When Austin utility bills went up last winter, many residents probably didn’t even notice — mostly because the increase in fees was hidden by reductions in other costs. But here’s the truth: The city of Austin is squeezing its customers more than they know....
April 2, 2026