AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — The Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a statewide investigation in major Texas cities, including Amarillo, over municipal budget transparency and “unlawful” tax increases.
According to the office of the Texas Attorney General, Paxton has requested financial documents and information from nearly 1,000 Texas cities. Officials note that Paxton is basing his investigation on SB 1851, which enacted a state law that “bars cities that do not strictly follow Texas’s financial statement audit and transparency requirements from raising Taxes above the no-new-revenue rate.”
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“Local officials will not be allowed to ignore the law, cover up their finances, and burden Texans with never-ending tax increases,” Paxton said. “Our cities and municipalities must prioritize transparency and minimizing the tax burden of every citizen across the state. While many cities have already complied with these requirements, I’m launching this review to ensure that the law is universally followed, taxpayers are respected, and local government is accountable to all Texans.”
Paxton’s office stated that Paxton has previously sent letters to La Marque, Odessa, Tom Bean, and Whitesboro. Officials add that Paxton has also launched the initiative to act in response to “citizen complaints” and also actively request documents and audit information to ensure the cities are in compliance with the law…