The May 2014 bond elections are right around the corner and many of Texas’ local governments are set to ask voters to approve new debt and, in some cases, higher taxes to help pay for the fresh red ink.
While each bond proposal must be decided on the merits by voters, it is critical that, prior to voting, Texans have an informed outlook. That’s where the work of the Texas Comptroller comes into play.
Over the last few years, the Texas Comptroller has done an outstanding job of creating many user-friendly resources and tools for Texans to better educate themselves on local government spending and debt facts and trends.
Here are just a few of those resources:
- Tell the Truth Texas, a one-stop shop for “all available informationon local government finances in our state, including the existing and proposed debts of cities, counties, school and hospital districts and hundreds of special-purpose districts throughout Texas.” This site also features the Debt-at-a-Glanceand Bond Election Round-uptools.
- Texas, It’s Your Money, a four-part series that “gives Texans the tools they need to understand government spending, and to hold those responsible for it accountable.” The series focuses on taxing entities, local debt, education debt, and pension obligations;
- Texas Comptroller’s Leadership Circle, a site that “recognizes local governments across Texas that are striving to meet a high standard for on-line financial transparency by opening their books to the public; by providing clear, consistent pictures of spending; and by sharing information in a user-friendly format that helps taxpayers understand how their tax dollars are spent.”
In addition to the resources listed above, the Comptroller recently produced a helpful new video to educate voters on basics of bond elections titled: A Taxpayer Timeline for Local Bond Elections. Check it out!
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