Austin’s short-term rental ordinance is not only bad public policy, but it also violates the Texas Constitution in a whole host of ways. Austin’s unconstitutional overreach must be corrected. This lawsuit, Zaatari, et. al. v. City of Austin, et. al., raises seven separate constitutional concerns with Austin’s STR ordinance.
Just the Facts: Local Government Spending
Despite billions in property tax relief provided by recent state legislatures, Texans’ property tax bills continue to increase due to unrestricted spending at the local level. Key points: City and county government spending continues to outstrip increases in both population and inflation. While the state government has constitutional and statutory spending limits, local governments do...