Texas Property Tax Reform Needed

January 18, 2016

James Quintero

James Quintero is the policy director for the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Government for the People campaign. Since joining the Foundation in 2008, Quintero has focused extensively on: state & local government spending, taxes, debt, public pension reform, annexation, and local regulations.

Allegra Hill

The Tax Foundation ranked the states according to their property tax burdens per capita, with Texas having the 14th highest property tax burden in the country.

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Telling Renters the Truth about Property Taxes

Renters oftentimes do not know how much in property taxes they pay monthly or annually. This knowledge gap can invite negative societal effects, such as uninformed voting decisions. Key points: Many renters are uninformed about their property tax burden. Some estimates suggest that as much as 20% of an individual’s rent is due to local...

July 14, 2026

Local Government

Austin ISD’s Budget Narrative Contradicted by Administrative Excess

By its own account, “Austin ISD is navigating a difficult budget season,” with district officials recently approving a 2026-27 budget containing “nearly $186 million in spending reductions.” What led to this unfortunate occasion was almost entirely out of the district’s control, according to the sitting superintendent. Last month, he publicly stated: “Over the past seven years, Austin ISD has...

July 15, 2026

Local Government

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...

March 18, 2024

James Quintero

Allegra Hill

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Telling Renters the Truth about Property Taxes

Austin ISD’s Budget Narrative Contradicted by Administrative Excess

Governments Lobbying Government: City of Houston