Tag: Texas Municipal League

Texas Municipal League Uses YOUR Own Tax Dollars To Screw You

The Texas Municipal League is a government sector lobbying association in Texas. It was founded in 1913 and its mission is “to serve the needs and advocate the interests of its members.” It is a 501(c)(4) organization.

In other words, the City of Lampasas uses YOUR tax dollars to help fund the Texas Municipal League – which in turn lobbies the State government. Since the TML serves the “interests of its members”, they are on the side of BIGGER government and higher taxes.

Thomas Jefferson said, “To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” This line is often quoted to express the most common objection to the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying.

A secondary objection is that most taxpayers are unaware that their tax money, through dues, is used to fund lobbying advocacy programs with which they may disagree.

There are many examples of the TML trying to screw the taxpayer, as they are generally opposed to ANYTHING that “cuts into City revenue” (i.e. lower taxers) or increases transparency in government. But the most egregious is their vehement opposition to the recently passed S.B. 2…..which I have discussed previously.

The bill, which aims to slow the growth of rising property tax bills, makes a host of changes designed to make the tax system more transparent and accessible. But it includes one provision — widely disliked by city and county officials AND the TML — that requires local governments to hold an election before raising 3.5% more property tax revenue than the previous year. Currently, residents must petition for an election if the property tax levy surpasses 8%, a rate set during a period of high inflation in the 1980s.

The TML opposes any legislative effort to give voters the right to reject property tax increases that exceed the rate of inflation and population growth.

So why does Lampasas, ostensibly (look it up, Monica) a fiscally conservative, GOP kinda town, belong to such a left-wing, big-government lobbying group that is opposed to reigning in out-of-control government spending? Great question. I’m guessing The Seven Goldfish don’t have the first clue. Here is your excuse to look into it.

Texas Municipal League – A Gigantic Waste of Time and Money

It’s getting cold and feels like fall. You know what that means! Time for the Texas Municipal League Annual Conference! This is an annual circle-jerk of nonsense and bureaucratic babble, brought to you by a group that is unabashedly pro Big Government and whose number-one priority is looking out for government workers – not the taxpayer. They are first and foremost an organization BY government bureaucrats FOR government bureaucrats.…taxpayers be damned.

Naturally, Lampasas taxpayers send City employees and politicians every year to listen to this nonsense and spin their wheels….at great expense to the City of Lampasas.

We will delve into how the TML actively works to screw the taxpayer (with YOUR money) in an upcoming post. But for now, just look at some of the ridiculous session descriptions for this year! I think my favorite is number two. A stereotypical pile of bureaucratic bullshit babble filled with buzzwords and circular yammering:

Village of The Hills – Stay or Play? (presented by TCMA — Texas City Management Association)

Find the courage to break with the past in order to tackle the future. Hear insights from leaders in the Village of The Hills on how to implement cultural change.
Speakers: Eric Ovlen, Mayor, Village of the Hills

Race and Equity: How Your City Can Implement Targeted Strategies to Improve Outcomes (presented by TABCCM—Texas Association of Black City Council Members)

In this session, local leaders will explore “targeted universalism,” a strategic framework that can create the transformational changes that cities need and are looking for to improve life chances and enhance and sustain equitable policies and programs while embedding racial equity throughout the city as a core lens.
Speaker: Ariel Guerrero, Co-Founder, O&G Racial Equity Collaborative

Elevating Trust in Local Government

Be empowered with the tools necessary to tap into the hearts and minds of citizens, re-engaging them in community visioning. Specifically, learn about the differences between community-based strategic planning and other plans, the anatomy of a community-based plan, and effective techniques for engaging citizens in the planning process. Attendees will learn how to take what citizens are saying and synthesize it into clear directives for the city and ensure that their plan lasts and is implemented effectively.
Speakers: Rick Davis, City Manager, City of Baytown; Nick Woolery, Innovation and Strategy Director, City of Baytown; and Dan Griffiths