For years, Texas property owners have looked to the property appraisal process to seek relief on their property tax bills while ignoring the budget and rate setting process.

HB 3 passed by the 86th Legislature mandated that school districts reduce maintenance and operations (M&O) tax rates in the years to come

For a session many initially thought would be fraught with fiscal peril, lawmakers returned to Austin this past January facing a much healthier state treasury than anticipated.

The 86th Legislature may have disappointed those looking for drama, but it was incredibly productive.

An extraordinary thing happened on the way to the 86th legislative session. Due to the creation of the Texas Commission on Public School Finance by the 85th Legislature