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Local Texas News
Analysis: Who’s Raising and Lowering Taxes in Upton County?
Upton County property tax rates are a mixed bag of cuts and hikes over a three-year period.
LGBT Non-profit Provides ‘Therapeutic Support’ to Students in Houston Schools
The Hatch Youth Safe Zones Project provides on-campus “affirming” counseling for LGBT students.
Katy Faces First De-annexation Challenge Under New Texas Law
A landowner wants to de-annex 80 acres from Katy’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
Harris County Commissioners Court to Evaluate Work-from-Home Policy
Houston Mayor John Whitmire is ending work-from-home provisions for city employees starting February 1.
Local Archive
Azle School Board Asks Voters to Approve Tax Rate “Swap”
Add Azle to the list of Metroplex-area school districts calling for a property tax rate increase that requires local voters’ approval. Azle Independent School District trustees voted July 16 for a “tax swap” that will raise the district’s property tax rate for...
Mission Creep in Houston Historical Commission
When Houston passed its Historic Preservation Ordinance, supporters promised leery property owners that its passage wouldn’t mean government intrusion in every aspect of redeveloping private property in “historic” areas. Eight years later, it seems as though that has...
Appraisal Districts Dominated by Elected Officials
It may come as a shock to some taxpayers that the people who dictate property appraisals are often representatives of the local taxing entities that benefit from higher property values. They may also be shocked to learn that some appraisal district board members...
“Make Weslaco Drain Again”
On Wednesday, over 500 citizens gathered at Weslaco City Hall to demand answers from city officials regarding their handling of the recent June flood that left 20 percent of the city underwater. Concerned residents crowded the main chamber and overflowed into the...
Montgomery County to Hire Former Legislator as a Lobbyist
Local governments, big and small like Dallas or the City of Brownwood, have been jumping on the band-wagon of hiring their own tax funded lobbyists for years. Activists across the state are up in arms and the issue has become a top five priority of the Republican...
Mineral Wells Mayor Questions Area Growth Council’s Effectiveness, Integrity
Mineral Wells, Texas is a small, quasi-industrial community less than 80 miles west of the Metroplex. The city holds a declining population of roughly 15,000 people and features the towering skeleton of the renowned Baker Hotel--an abandoned property that will take...
Richardson ISD Asking Voters for Tax Increase
Richardson Independent School District is calling for a 13-percent increase in the district’s operating tax rate, triggering a Tax Ratification Election (TRE) to approve the tax hike. Richardson ISD board members voted June 6 to increase the district’s property tax...
Voter Fraud Investigation Targets Grand Prairie Candidate
Prosecutors investigating voter fraud in Dallas County are focusing on mail-in ballot applications tied to an unnamed candidate in the May election. A local news report suggested the candidate was Grand Prairie school board member David Espinosa. Dallas County...
Houston’s Rain Tax Could Be Back On The Ballot
Houston’s long-litigated, but never forgotten rain tax seems like it may rear its head again this November if the mayor has his way. The drainage fee, or rain tax, barely passed in 2010 as a pay-as-you-go fee dedicated to streets and drainage. Though it seems...