Consumers have greatly benefitted from recent efforts to reduce telecommunications taxes. But this testimony shows that the municipal franchise tax on video, voice, electricity, and natural gas services still takes hundreds of millions of dollars a year out of consumers’ pockets.
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...