Thursday, October 25, 2018

Texas Municipal League Lobbys for Georgetown

Georgetown is a dues paying member of the Texas Municipal League(TML). They provide education, training, legal support and Lobbying. The first item in the History and General Information segment of their website reads:
"1. To represent the interests of member cities before legislative, administrative, and judicial bodies at the state and federal levels."
Thus, it is clear who TML represents - cities, not taxpayers!

TML likely opposes all potential legislation that limits the size, scope of authority and revenue extraction from the population by cities! This is clearly against the best economic and personal liberty interests of individuals living in Georgetown.

Specifically, TML is against any additional limits on property tax increases. At the moment Georgetown is fortunate in that there are only three principal taxing entities, city, county, and schools. In other jurisdictions there are many pseudo government entities that have property tax authority.

TML is against limiting city's ability to use tax money to pick winners and losers in subsidizing economic development. Cities use outright grants, infrastructure construction, tax abatements and tax increment reinvestment zones. There is no evidence that shows government is superior to the free market in economic development. The government just needs to "get out of the way" of private enterprise by reducing barriers like regulations and ordinances.

There are other issues that TML will lobby for cities and they will be addressed as they arise in the upcoming legislative session.

Keep in mind that there is also a Texas Association of Counties whose job is to look out for the county governments interest.

Your legislative representatives are the people who are elected to look out for your interest. Do not be shy in letting them know your views on any proposed legislation.

No comments:

Post a Comment