Testimony of Christopher Hammons, Ph.D., before the SBOE

Houston’s Fat Cat Superintendents: The Hidden Benefits How Some of Texas’s Highest-Paid Public Employees Are Systematically Underreporting Their Compensation

Exorbitant and hidden superintendent pay reflects a culture of self-enrichment that has no place in Texas public schools, diverts taxpayer dollars from students, and betrays the public trust. Key points: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) understates the total compensation for some of Texas’s highest-paid superintendents. Though they oversee fewer people, many superintendents have drawn a...

October 29, 2026

Local Government

Tracking Local Government Debt in Texas: 2016 – 2025

Local governments in Texas have accumulated excessive public debt. Strict reforms are necessary to restore fiscal discipline. Key points: In fiscal year 2025, local government borrowing reached nearly $561 billion in combined principal and interest, which is $17,706 in debt per capita. From 2016 to 2025, total local debt rose from $331.8 billion to $561...

November 9, 2026

Local Government

May 2026 Bond Election Report

Although there have been many strides taken at the state level to reduce the property tax burden, local governments’ incessant and reckless spending continues to drive up the bill. Key points: In May 2026, Texas voters considered 439 bonds. Of those, 233 were approved. The passage rate for bond propositions for the May 2026 cycle...

November 3, 2026

Christopher Hammons

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Houston’s Fat Cat Superintendents: The Hidden Benefits How Some of Texas’s Highest-Paid Public Employees Are Systematically Underreporting Their Compensation

Tracking Local Government Debt in Texas: 2016 – 2025

May 2026 Bond Election Report