The council has piled up nearly $7 billion in debt, more than many other large cities in Texas.
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Trump, Freedom Caucus Issue Conflicting Endorsements in West Texas Race
Trump and the Freedom Caucus are backing different candidates in the upcoming GOP primary, an unusual conflict between the strong allies.
Is Life-Saving Judge Alex Kim Being Targeted by an Establishment Judge?
An emergency meeting of county district judges has been called, allegedly to remove all cases involving CPS from the court of Judge Alex Kim.
New Data Reveals Austin’s Homeless Violent Crime is Rising
After the progressive-run Austin City Council enacted controversial homeless policies last year, new police numbers have revealed more of the consequences.
Amarillo Civic Center Committee Recommends $279M Bond Proposal
Amarillo voters now have a better idea of which items will be considered by the city council for the May 2020 bond election.
MOST RECENT
Corrupt Ex-Dallas Official Sent to Federal Prison for Taking Bribes
Dwaine Caraway sentenced to 56 months for his role in the Dallas County Schools bribery and money-laundering scandal.
Former Keller Councilman Endorses City Council Candidate
Local conservative endorses candidate he believes will be a “voice for Keller taxpayers.”
Controversy Continues Over Dallas Citizens Police Review Board Reforms
Controversial reforms of the board removed subpoena power of police officers, but still costs taxpayers over a million dollars.
Cedar Park Candidates Have Records of Higher Taxes and Corrupt Deals
Cedar Park citizens have reason to pay attention to candidates running for their city council.
Seliger-Aligned Group Backs Amarillo City Council Incumbents
Major Amarillo political action committee throws its weight behind Mayor Ginger Nelson and Amarillo City Council incumbents.
Who Pays the Biggest Tarrant County Tax Increases?
Data from Tarrant County Appraisal District completes study of metroplex showing growth of city and school property taxes across all four counties.
Who Pays the Biggest Collin County Tax Increases?
Official data shows that even residents in conservative Collin County are experiencing property tax increases.
Austin Mayor Speaks Out Against Citizens
The mayor is strongly opposed to giving any power back to citizens.
Hearing on Controversial Dallas Citizens Police Review Board Reforms This Week
Dallas City Council to open for public comments on reforms.
Dana McKelvain: A Passion for Patriotism
Growing up in a proud Navy family, Dana McKelvain loves her rural Texas community and has a passion for defending Christian conservative values at every level of government.
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El Paso Taxpayers: Pay Up
Same song, different verse. Like taxpayers around the state, the people of El Paso are getting hit hard by their city council with an 8.4 percent increase in property taxes. The reason? “We don't have enough police officers,†according to the El Paso Times. Translation: Pay higher taxes, or the rapists will be dropped off in your neighborhood.
Next We’ll Be Told Liberals Grow Government
The next time someone points to England as an example of anything other than a good place to get fish-and-chips, casually mention a study funded by their taxpayers. Girls, researchers there breathlessly announced this week, prefer pink.
Costly Proposed New Bond Would Push Denton ISD Toward State Cap
The Denton ISD school board has announced it will ask voters to approve a $282 million new bond initiative in November. Interestingly, $2 million of the proposal has nothing to do with students – it is to build a child care center for district employees. If this bond measure is approved, the tax bill of a $150,000 home would rise an estimated $48 to $75 a year, according to the district.
The Taxman Cometh
Do you hear that knocking at your door? It’s the taxman, and he wants more money. Pay up. It’s bad enough that appraisal creep and unrestrained spending is taking a bigger and bigger bite out of taxpayers’ take-home pay, but now comes word that local governments want an even bigger bite out of your bank account.
Newspaper: Never, Never, Never Cut Taxes
Josef Stalin and Vladimir Lenin would be proud of their ideological progeny at the San Antonio Express-News. The long-dead communists, whose utopian Soviet state collapsed in disrepute and bankruptcy after an 80-year experiment in tyranny, Â focused on the collective good (as they defined it) outweighing any claim of individual liberty or economic prosperity.
Well, the San Antonio Express-News is opposed a proposed city “roll-back†of property taxes (even though it is less than 1 percent). They say that “individuals benefit from the collective good†(a line no doubt from their Karl Marx quote-of-the-day calendar), and the collective good is defined as growing government to consume every resource possible.
Austin Apparatchiks Have Waste and Nepotism in Store for Taxpayers
For those outside Austin, there have been a flurry of reports lately illustrating why Austin is known as the People's Republic of Travis County. The City Council is considering banning plastic bags from stores and they gave a $750,000 forgivable loan to a politically connected Mexican restaurant, Las Manitas. Now here's another big enchilada on the taxpayer dime – the latest report is that the City has been running a souvenier store in City Hall at a loss of $250,000 per year to taxpayers.Â
Got Tax Relief? Not In Houston…
So you think you’re getting tax relief? If you live in Houston, chances are you are not. The school district there are doing everything they can to reach into your family’s pocket-book and exact every last dollar they can.
Property Tax Appraisals Skyrocket from Metroplex to Killeen
In Dallas County, total property values are up 16 percent, with about half of that attributable to increases on existing properties, according to a Dallas Morning News report.
Although Collin County has not posted 2007 average home values yet, the Dallas Morning News reports that total appraisals are up 47 percent in Celina , 38.9 percent in Prosper, and 30.3 percent in Melissa, all of which are in the northern part of the county. Assuming half is due to new construction, that is still 15 to 24 percent increases in average home value.
Hitchcock and Galveston Engulfed by Rising Tide of Property Taxes
If you've ever been to Hitchcock, which is situated in the shadows of Texas City and its effusive refineries, despite the proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, you might be forgiven for not having thought you were in Palm Beach. Hitchcock may not seem like a ritzy resort rolling in money, but don't tell that to the Galveston County Tax Appraiser. It turns out that property values in Hitchcock are increasing by 27.41 percent this year, according to a Galveston Daily News report.
Small Businesses Bracing for Burdensome Business Tax
The San Antonio Express-News reports that many small business owners around the state are facing huge bills due under the new state gross receipts tax which starts in 2007, with the first payment to the state due by May 2008. The article notes that many firms are seeing a tenfold increase in tax due as compared with the franchise tax, which it replaces.