The executive committee of the state’s largest county republican organization approved a proposal urging all local taxing entities to break their contracts with taxpayer funded lobbyists and specifically calling for them to cancel their membership with the Texas Municipal League.

“The Texas Municipal League is an organization engaged in lobbying the Texas Legislature and is funded by tax dollars in the form of ‘membership dues’ paid by member cities across Texas, including many cities contained in whole or in part within Harris County…” reads the resolution passed by the Harris County Republican Party executive committee.

The resolution goes on to explain how TML is actively advocating against Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 2, the legislature’s priority property tax reform bills. It also says that TML is “spreading misinformation” about property tax reform and “demonizing Republican elected officials who support this important taxpayer legislation.”

The body is calling for all cities in the county to refrain from using public dollars to “fund the lobbying efforts” of TML and is calling on them to cancel any current memberships with the group.

In TML’s 2019-2020 legislative program, they expressed fervent opposition to any reform that would give taxpayers more control of their taxes.

1. Defeat any legislation that would erode municipal authority in any way, impose an unfunded mandate, or otherwise be detrimental to cities, especially legislation that would:
c. impose a revenue and/or tax cap of any type, including a reduced rollback rate, mandatory tax rate ratification elections, lowered rollback petition requirements, limitations on overall city expenditures, exclusion of the new property adjustment in effective rate and rollback rate calculations, or legislation that lowers the rollback rate and gives a city council the option to re-raise the rollback rate.

The resolution says it will be sent to all Harris County mayors within five days of passage.

Charles Blain

Charles Blain is the president of Urban Reform and Urban Reform Institute. A native of New Jersey, he is based in Houston and writes on municipal finance and other urban issues.

RELATED POSTS