President Obama’s 2017 budget asks Congress to spend $20 billion on mass-transit rail projects nationwide—$125 million of which is slated for Tarrant County’s controversial TexRail project. Despite its proven wasteful status and increased opposition from local...
At Wednesday’s hearing on property tax reform, the president of the Texas Municipal League (TML) strongly opposed any legislation aimed at limiting the tax-hiking power of cities. When State Sen. Van Taylor (R-Plano) asked how much government is too much, TML's...
The recording and publishing of public meetings is a best practice that’s been broadly adopted by many governments in Texas. But despite discussions surrounding a $1 billion debt plan still looming, the appointed board charged with oversight of Tarrant County’s...
Despite taunting his Dallas-area constituents to “bring him an opponent” during a disastrous debate performance last year, State Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) recently tried to have his opponent yanked from the ballot. Dallas attorney Dan Morenoff, who filed against...
Could higher turnout from the presidential primary in March benefit establishment republicans down ballot? One political expert thinks so. Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University known best for his academic study of Texas' Legislature, told the...
Councilmembers Chris Putnam and Carol Wollin sided with residents, while the other five city officials were met with protests.
Colleyville officials continue to face a barrage of citizen-backlash after their attempt to ram through a high-density development plan was exposed. On Tuesday night, the council will decide whether or not to side with their own citizens. The “higher-density” issue...
Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday appointed Dallas Independent School District Trustee Mike Morath to be the next Education Commissioner of Texas. Referring to Morath as a “proven educational reformer,” Abbott applauded the progress DISD has made in large part to Morath’s...
The City of Dallas has been exposed for keeping billions in “hidden” debt from its financial statements. According to a recent report, Dallas currently has the third highest taxpayer burden in the nation, driven primarily by unfunded pension obligations that are held...
Government interest groups are confessing their belief that reforms aimed at providing greater fiscal transparency to voters will be harmful to local governments. Unsurprisingly, a better-informed voter makes debt-hungry governments nervous. During Wednesday’s hearing...