John Huffman, former mayor of Southlake and current Texas Senate District 9 candidate, campaigns as a “proven conservative” with a claim of a record of fiscal responsibility. A Texas A&M and Georgetown Law graduate, Huffman served on the Southlake City Council from 2015 and as mayor from 2021 to 2024, stepping down to run unsuccessfully for Congressional House District 26 before pivoting to the Texas Senate race. He highlights being a fiscal conservative during his time in city government.
However, Huffman’s record reveals a troubling pattern of extravagant spending that clashes with pro-taxpayer, fiscally-conservative values, an indication he would likely not be a strong advocate for taxpayers in the Texas Legislature.
The “Taj Mahal of pickleball”
Families across Texas are grappling with rising prices, skyrocketing property taxes and struggling to make ends meet, yet Huffman prioritized a $3.85 million taxpayer-funded pickleball complex in Southlake during his tenure as Mayor.
Dubbed the “Taj Mahal of pickleball” by Huffman himself, this facility boasts courts, shade structures, lighting, fencing, and a building for offices, storage, and restrooms. He justified the expense by citing the sport’s surging popularity and potential to draw visitors. While pickleball has grown in recent years, this project epitomizes wasteful and inappropriate government spending.
Taxpayers deserve leaders who fund essential services, like public safety and infrastructure, not niche recreational extravaganzas that benefit a select few while inflating municipal budgets – and by extension, the people’s property taxes.
Growing Government
Huffman’s fiscal record further undermines his claimed conservative credentials. A closer look at Southlake’s budgets reveals a pattern of unchecked spending growth that burdens taxpayers despite superficial tax rate cuts. Total expenditures ballooned from $104.6 million in FY 2022 to $117.2 million in FY 2023 and again to $126.7 million in FY 2024, for a total increase of more than 21% in government spending in just 3 years, reflecting Huffman’s failure to rein in government bloat amid rising property values and costs that still squeezed residents.
These figures reflect a government that grew under Huffman, not one restrained by fiscal discipline. Fiscally conservative principles demand better efficiency and more discipline.
The Wrong Choice
Huffman’s campaign pledges appear to ring hollow against his record. Instead of promoting taxpayers and protecting their wallets, he built a luxury sports complex and grew government spending at their expense.
Texans in SD-9 deserve better than a senator whose legacy includes multimillion-dollar indulgences and growing government spending at taxpayer expense.
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