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Commentary Archive

Who Controls Texans’ Property Tax Bills?

Want to know who’s responsible for increases in your property tax bills? The most influential players are your local taxing entities — cities, counties, school districts, and other special purpose districts. They decide what tax rates to apply to your property after...

The Citizens’ Choice is the Caucus Choice

Earlier this month we began laying out a few factors citizens (and their legislators) can use to judge candidates seeking election as the next Texas House Speaker. Among the three criteria is a requirement that the individual should win the support of a majority of...

Time To End The Toxic Legislator-to-Lobbyist Pipeline

The Texas Legislature should never be used as an escalator to a lucrative lobbying career! Unfortunately, under current ethics rules, Texas lawmakers can retire or lose their re-election campaign and be rewarded with a corner office and a million-dollar salary from...

Plano Council Raises City Taxes in Split 5-3 Vote

On September 10, Plano City Council voted 5-3 to raise our city property taxes again. As a result, the average Plano homeowner will see a 40 percent increase in their city tax bill in just five years. These increases are simply unsustainable. Yes, it’s true that most...

Politicians Blame God

Let’s face it, drainage is not an exciting subject to talk about. Realistically, not one person cares about it until there’s at least 20 inches of sewer water entering your home. June 20, the day after my birthday, changed my perspective of how I view politics. The...

Flower Mound Residents Want Property Tax Relief

Here at Empower Texans we talk a lot about property taxes. It’s the number one fiscal issue Texas taxpayers complain about. The Republican Party of Texas named it a top legislative priority for state lawmakers in 2019. Residents in the Flower Mound area agree. The...

Citizens Must Choose the Next Speaker

When legislators return to Austin next January, one of the first items on their agenda will be the election of a Speaker of the House. For the first time in decades there’s an open contest. Since current House Speaker Joe Straus announced he would not seek re-election...

Property Taxpayers Expect Fiscal Responsibility

Citizens expect their city officials to be fiscally responsible with taxpayers' money, prioritize spending, and live within a budget just as citizens themselves do. But too often city governments are tempted to collect and spend more and more tax dollars simply...