Texas is the envy of the world with its critical assets. In energy, health, communications, and high tech sectors, the Lone Star State’s prowess with critical infrastructure makes it a remarkably hot target for hostile foreign adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran. Notably, there has been a 5,220% increase in cyberattacks in the US over the last two decades, with nearly 2/3 of critical infrastructure attacks levied by state-affiliated, hostile actors. The frequency and sophistication of attacks continues to grow as society becomes more digital, and the emergence of new AI tools enhances the capability, motivation, and opportunity for threat actors to successfully infiltrate targets.
Taxes & Spending
Assessing Tax Trends in the City of Arlington
Does history suggest that property taxes are too high in the city of Arlington? And, if so, have local decision-makers actively helped or hurt the situation? To help answer these questions, let’s review the city’s 2024 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 these audited estimates, we can gauge the growth of government (i.e., tax levy trends), assess its reasonability...
February 20, 2026