Texas Municipal League
From Sunshine Review
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[edit] Income and expenses
In 2007, the program services expenses for the Texas Municipal League totaled $4,102,392.[2] This includes
- $1,327,728 for Member Services: This includes the coordination of member and board meetings.
- $596,525 for Legislative Services: This includes monitoring legislative activities of relevance to members and communication to those members.
- $466,567 for Legal Services: Legal research for members, legal advice, and speaking engagements are included in this section.
- $1,233,765Program Development: Development programs for members.
- $477,807 Administration and in-house printing.
| Year | Total Expenses | Total Income | Membership dues (included in Total Income) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 [2] | $5,209,377 | $5,564,168 | $1,651,557 |
| 2006 [3] | $5,221,593 | $5,352,699 | $1,620,970 |
| 2005 [4] | $4,865,791 | $4,961,873 | $1,597,142 |
Note: Tax years begin July 1 in the current year and end June 30 the following year.
[edit] Support for Kelo decision
The Texas Municipal League came out in support of the Kelo v. City of New London decision, which affirmed the government's use of eminent domain for the purposes of "economic development". The League's official stance was:
"The Kelo decision is good for Texas cities... It simply confirms what cities have known all along: under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, economic development can be as much a 'public use' as a road, bridge, or water tower."[5]
This is consistent with its lobbying priorities which state that the league is opposed to measures that would "erode the authority of cities to condemn property for a public purpose" (emphasis added). The league would also oppose legislation that would "restrict cities’ ability to adopt or amend zoning regulations".[6]
[edit] Lobbying priorities
The Texas Municipal League's lobbying priorities are listed under its 2009 Legislative Priorities. [6]
The League’s legislative priorities are in three general areas. These are:[6] 1. Ensuring revenue flow to cities 2. More funding for infrastructure projects, and 3. Local decision-making.
[edit] Burdens on cities
The League wants a decrease the demands placed on cities by the state, which creates unfunded mandates.[6] This is when the state of Texas demands of cities that they provide services for citizens, but not provide funding, making cities responsible for the actual execution and delivery of services.
It also wants room for cities to create their own tax incentives and rules. [6]
[edit] Infrastructure
TML gives the state of Texas grades ranging from "D-" to a high grade of "C" on infrastructure.[6] These grades reflect the fact that roads are congested and in bad condition, and these bad conditions end up costing motorists money. Bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. There are also deficiencies in drinking water, hazardous waste management, and flood control. [6]The organization sees these failures as a result of the fact that the first cuts in a budget are usually infrastructure-related, since these are not immediately necessary.[6]
The League wants to stop top-down restriction of revenue sources by the Texas legislature. Because municipal governments in Texas finance local road construction and pay a significant part of the cost for new state highways, these municipalities should have more of a say in how they will pay for infrastructure.[6]
[edit] Local control
The Texas Municipal League wants cities to have more decision-making power. Legislative agenda item number one aims to "defeat any legislation that would erode municipal authority in any way". This section lists specific state actions which diminish the choices of a city by forcing rules and demands on them. Specific things the TML is opposed to include unfunded mandates, having cities acting as collection agents for the state, and state-imposed caps on taxes. [6]
Additionaly, the TML Wants to change the statute prohibiting the use of public funds for political advertising.[6]
[edit] Taxpayer-funded lobbying
- See also taxpayer-funded lobbying
The league seems to be opposed to limits on taxpayer-funded lobbying by the legislature, and sees this as a matter of local control. Taxpayer-funded lobbying is the use of public money by a government entity for the promotion of specific policy agenda. [6] The TML states it would oppose moves to:[6]
f. limit or prohibit the authority of city officials to use municipal funds to communicate with legislators
and
g. limit or prohibit the right of the Texas Municipal League to use any revenue, however derived, to communicate with legislators.
[edit] Municipal Sovereign Immunity
The TML suppots sovereign immunity, which is when a municipality is protected from lawsuits.[6]
[edit] Affiliates
The following are affiliate members of the Texas Municipal League. [7]
- Texas City Attorneys Association
- Texas Association of Black City Council Members
- Building Officials Association of Texas
- Texas Court Clerks Association
- Texas Municipal Clerks Association
- Government Finance Officers Association of Texas
- Texas Fire Chiefs Association
- Texas Association of Municipal Health Officials
- Association of Hispanic Municipal Officials
- Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers
- Texas Municipal Library Directors Association
- Texas City Management Association
- Association of Mayors, Councilmembers & Commissioners
- Texas Municipal Parks, Recreation & Tourism Association
- Texas Municipal Human Resources Association
- Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association
- Texas Police Chiefs Association
- Texas Public Works Association
- Texas Public Purchasing Association
- Texas Association of Municipal Tax Administrators
- Texas Municipal Utilities Association
[edit] Members
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ↑ About Texas Municipal League
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Form 990, Texas Municipal League 2007
- ↑ Form 990, Texas Municipal League 2006
- ↑ Form 990, Texas Municipal League 2005
- ↑ Austin Business Journal, "Kelo ruling is wakeup call", July 22, 2005
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13
- ↑ Texas Municipal League - Affiliate Members Listing
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Lists of taxpayer-funded lobbying associations |
|---|---|
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