by Bill Peacock | Jan 9, 2026 | Explainers
Texas is considered a conservative state. Yet, when it comes to the size and scope of government, Texans ought to take a closer look. This is the first is a series of papers in which we will examine the growth of Texas’ state and local governments over the last...
by Bill Peacock | Jan 9, 2026 | Explainers
“Sometimes I Think That Property Tax Relief Actually Hurts People” “Sometimes I think that the result of this tax policy actually hurts people. In the instance of San Antonio, we [would] have the potential to actually lose jobs and major economic development should...
by Bill Peacock | Jan 7, 2026 | Explainers
“Local Jurisdictions Come from Behind Our Backs and Raise Property Taxes” “Every time we use billions of dollars to buy down your property tax rates at the local level, local jurisdictions come from behind our backs and raise those property taxes.”– Gov. Greg Abbott1...
by Vance Ginn | Oct 20, 2025 | Explainers
Executive Summary Texas continues to attract families and businesses from across the country, but government debt threatens to erode that incentive. According to the Texas Bond Review Board (BRB),1 local governments carried $330.9 billion in outstanding debt in FY...
by TFR Staff | Oct 17, 2025 | Commentary, Local
The City of Austin is in a financial crisis, and they’re asking voters to approve a permanent tax increase to fill in their budget deficit.1 This tax rate election, with “Proposition Q,” aims to raise the city’s property tax rate to 57.4 cents per...
