South DFW News

Approximately 88% of Texans oppose taxpayer-funded lobbying and many aren’t aware how they pay for it, according to a Texas Public Policy Foundation poll.

As previously reported by East Houston News, local governments are permitted to pay lobbyists with revenues collected from homeowners for various political causes or reforms, which may or may not benefit the taxpayer. 

A full list of all registered lobbyists is available on the Texas Ethics Commission website.

“Taxpayer-funded lobbyists have opposed property tax relief, election integrity, disclosures of what bonds truly cost taxpayers, the constitutional ban on a state income tax, and they even opposed the bill to fund and protect our teacher’s retirement pensions,” Rep. Mayes Middleton (R–Wallisville) told East Houston News.

After learning that up to $41 million per year is spent by local government on Austin lobbyists, Middleton called on cities, counties and school districts statewide to expose their tax revenue spending on lobbying.

The city of Crowley, for example, pays the Texas Municipal League (TML) $2,900 for lobbying, according to the city's Oct. 31 budget listing, but decisions about lobbying are made by city officials.

“We have a city attorney,” City of Crowley Secretary Carol Konhauser told South DFW News. “We take recommendations from TML (Texas Municipal League) and the city attorney and then counsel will make decisions based on that. I don't believe they will definitely always follow TML or that they have their own agenda. It just depends on each particular subject.”

According to its website, nearly 25% of TML’s legislature lobbying focuses on limiting municipal authority and their legislative program is cultivated by city officials whose cities are members.

Another $5,913 is spent by the City of Crowley on dues and memberships to organizations such as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).

“I believe TML is the only organization that really does any kind of lobbying,” Konhauser told South DFW News. “That's why we broke that one out from everything else.” 

According to its website, NCTCOG’s projects include transportation planning, environment and development, aging and disability resources, emergency preparedness, 911 emergency numbers and a regional police academy.

Middleton and Sen. Bob Hall both filed bills last week that, if enacted, will ban cities, counties, and school districts from hiring lobbyists with taxpayer revenue to advocate against laws that could potentially benefit homeowners statewide. The bills are identical but Middleton filed HB 749 in the state House while Hall filed SB 234. 

“There is a history of local governments contracting with outside lobbyists who have in turn advocated against bills which would be beneficial to residents of local governments, such as bills lowering property taxes, restricting the power of annexation, and providing additional information on ballot initiatives,” Hall (R-Edgewood) told the Tyler Reporter.