Budget Surplus

Podcast - Taxpayer Talks

Episode 1: Inflation, Surpluses, & Border Security (Premiere Episode)

Episode Description 💰 In our premiere episode of 𝗧𝗔𝗫𝗣𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦, we discuss the recently projected $27 billion budget surplus that Texas state lawmakers will have the ability to allocate in the upcoming legislative session, the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act…

News

Abbott Forecasts ‘Biggest Property Tax Cut in Texas History’

Recently, Texas Governor Greg Abbott gave the keynote address at the 18th annual West Texas Legislative Summit in San Angelo, Texas. In the address, he talked about property taxes and other issues in his plan for the upcoming legislative session….

News

Do Not Let Texas Lawmakers Plunder Our Money

Last week, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced an updated revenue estimate, which increased our continually growing budget surplus by nearly $14 billion. Yes, you heard that right $14 billion more! This raised the previous estimate from roughly $13 billion to…

News

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Announces Historic Surplus in Updated Estimate

Thursday, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar released his updated revenue estimate for the state of Texas. Previously the surplus estimate coming off of the most recent legislative session was around $8 billion. This estimate was updated in November of 2021 to…

News

Texas Comptroller To Announce New Revenue Increase On Thursday

Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee held its first interim hearing to consider some of their assigned interim charges involving the state budget. Among the invited testimony was that of Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who came to give a general update…

News

Abbott Signals Property Tax Cuts, What About Elimination?

In an interview with The Texan, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar indicated that it is possible Texas will have an estimated $30 billion account balance when the Texas Legislature reconvenes in January of 2023. In March, we reported that it was…

Commentary

No… We Don’t Have To Replace The Property Tax With Anything

In a year where most property owners find themselves getting overwhelmed with inflation driving up the costs of basic goods and services as well as major increases in property tax burdens, it has not been surprising to see millions of…

News

Senators Showed More Interest In Giving Themselves Raises Than Property Tax Relief in Hearing

Wednesday, the Texas Senate Committee on Finance convened for the first time since the last special legislative session to consider interim charges related to the state budget.  Among the issues discussed were things like inflation, Russia, and state pension reforms….

Commentary

They Shout Relief, But Where Is It?

Despite years of desperate cries from Texas taxpayers seeking significant property tax relief, Texans are once again being reminded that our lawmakers have no real desire to help lower our property tax bills. With stories of many Texas taxpayers experiencing…

Commentary

May Property Tax Propositions: A Slap In Texans’ Faces

Taxpayers all over the state of Texas report being crushed under the weight of sky-high property taxes, rising appraisals, and nearly double-digit inflation. You would not know this however if you only listened to lawmakers in Austin who drone on…

News

Is A $25 Billion Surplus Coming Next Session?

Rumors have already begun to swell around Austin that there is the possibility of a historic budgetary surplus heading lawmakers’ way as appropriators begin to consider the state budget for the next biennium. The Austin swamp is already salivating about…

Explainers

Explainer: What is the Texas Rainy Day Fund?

Most Texas taxpayers have probably never heard of the Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF) or as it’s sometimes referred to, “the Rainy Day Fund.” Our assumption is that lawmakers are content to keep the ESF hidden because if most taxpayers knew…

Commentary

Will TXLEGE Decide To Patch The Leak, Instead of Eliminate It?

Recently the groundswell of conservative voices demanding property tax elimination has reached all-time highs. The last two special sessions have not delivered the results for property tax relief that taxpayers have demanded. Property taxes have risen more than 181% in…