Montgomery County’s Republican Party has sent a strong message against taxpayer-funded lobbying by local governments with the passage of a resolution by the party’s executive committee.
In a unanimous voice vote, the MCRP’s executive committee approved a resolution authored by Precinct 18 Chair Jon O’Der calling for all of the cities within Montgomery County to withdraw from the Texas Municipal League, a taxpayer-funded lobbying organization that is actively engaged in opposing property tax reform. The resolution also calls for Montgomery County to cancel its membership with the Texas Association of Counties, another anti-taxpayer organization funded through tax dollars.
O’Der’s resolution cites the fact that the Republican Party of Texas platform strongly opposes taxpayer-funded lobbying. Ending the practice is also one of the RPT’s five legislative priorities.
The resolution takes issue with the fact that both TML and TAC have been lobbying against Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 2, the main property tax reform proposals being considered by the state legislature. Taxpayer’s own dollars are being given to these organizations by local governments to lobby against their interests.
The resolution directs that it be sent to the county judge and the mayors of all the cities within Montgomery County.
The Harris County Republican Party recently passed a similar resolution.
Conservatives in Montgomery County have recently had some success defeating taxpayer-funded lobbying. The Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District has voted twice against hiring a lobbyist. Montgomery County has also voted to withdraw from the Texas Conference of Urban Counties.
