The Incumbent Raised Your Taxes
While claiming fiscal responsibility, the incumbent voted for budgets that resulted in higher property tax bills for homeowners across District 2 in FY2026. Instead of controlling spending, the Commissioners Court has continued to increase the tax burden on families throughout the district.
Source: Dallas County – Notice of Adopted Tax Rate (Court Order 2025-0984)
Commissioners Raise the Tax Rate — Then Ask Voters to Raise It Even More for Homelessness Programs
The incumbent joined the majority in voting to raise the county’s base property tax rate for the first time in 16 years.
In the same meeting, he voted to place an additional permanent tax increase on the November ballot that would generate approximately $103 million per year specifically for homelessness programs.
District 2 alone would be responsible for roughly $41 million of this new permanent annual cost.
When you tax something, you get less of it. Homeowners in District 2 are already struggling with rising property taxes and the cost of living. This additional permanent tax makes it harder for working families to keep their homes.
When you subsidize something, you get more of it. Pouring tens of millions more into homelessness programs without strong accountability and measurable results risks attracting more of the problem rather than solving it — the same failed approach seen in cities like Los Angeles.
District 2 can’t afford commissioners like the incumbent. Taxpayers deserve leaders who protect their wallets first.
Source: Dallas Morning News, August 11, 2026 – “Dallas County voters to decide on tax increase to fund homelessness response” by Tracey McManus
Enabling Another Permanent Tax on District 2
And now the incumbent is ready to place another permanent property tax on the November ballot.
The proposal is projected to raise roughly $132 million a year. Because District 2 already shoulders about 40% of the county’s tax burden, our residents would pay roughly $53 million of that new annual cost.
Instead of opposing higher taxes, he said: “This is about more than taxation; it is about self-government… Taxpayers who would fund this initiative should be able to weigh the costs and benefits and make their voices heard at the ballot box.”
Putting measures like this on the ballot is rarely neutral. Travis County’s nearly identical tax passed with nearly 60% in 2024. By refusing to take a stand against it, the incumbent is quietly enabling another permanent tax on District 2.
Sources: Dallas Morning News, June 1, 2026; Travis County 2024 election results
Pushing a $150 Million Homeless Tax onto the Ballot
The incumbent voted to advance a new higher property tax rate designed to generate approximately $150 million for homeless services and place the question on the November ballot.
According to the Dallas Morning News, the proposed rate of 25.31 cents per $100 of valuation would raise the annual county tax on a $350,000 home from roughly $754 to $886 — an increase of more than $130 per year.
Because District 2 already shoulders a disproportionate share of the county’s overall tax burden (approximately 40%), our district alone would be responsible for roughly $60 million of this new permanent cost.
The incumbent called the proposed tax “stewardship” and “financial responsibility,” telling his colleagues that taxpayers can either “pay for failure or invest in success.”
Yet the same one-party court has repeatedly expanded spending and debt while offering little measurable accountability — and continues to oppose practical reforms that would better protect property owners from the effects of homelessness.
District 2 can't afford commissioners like the incumbent. Taxpayers deserve leaders who protect their wallets first.
See also: How this tax vote continues the pattern of prioritizing spending over real solutions on the Homelessness and Property Rights page.
Source: Dallas Morning News, August 5, 2026 – “Homeless aid vote advances” by Tracey McManus
What the Official Notice Actually Shows
The county’s own official notice makes the real impact even clearer.
While the tax rate itself is rising 17.47%, the actual tax bill on the average homestead is rising closer to 25%. That is because property values also increased at the same time the rate is going up.
Source: Dallas County Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase (Proposed Rate $0.253150)
No Independent Forensic Audit in Years
Dallas County has not undergone a true independent forensic audit of its operations in many years.
Despite managing nearly $3 billion in taxpayer money annually, the county relies mostly on internal reviews instead of the kind of deep, independent examination needed to uncover waste and mismanagement.
A real forensic audit would bring genuine accountability to how taxpayer dollars are being spent.
Source: Dallas County Auditor’s Office – Released Audits and Annual Audit Plans (2024–2026)
90% of Texans Support Local Efficiency Audits
According to a Texas Public Policy Foundation / Pulse Decision Poll, 90% of Texans support requiring local governments to undergo regular, independent efficiency audits.
This reflects near-unanimous public demand for the kind of transparency and fiscal accountability that is currently missing from Dallas County government.
Source: Texas Public Policy Foundation / Pulse Decision Poll
$350 Million in Hidden Debt
The Commissioners Court used Certificates of Obligation to borrow $350 million without public debate or voter approval. With interest, this debt will ultimately cost taxpayers approximately $700 million. Because District 2 carries a disproportionate share of the county’s tax burden, our district alone is shouldering about $280 million of that total cost — roughly $1,300 per person or $2,600 if you’re married.
This package included $25 million for a deflection center in District 2 with no detailed plan. District 2 taxpayers are shouldering about $10 million of that cost — approximately $47 from every taxpayer in our district.
Source: Dallas Morning News, May 20, 2026
Using Taxpayer Dollars for Special Housing Deals
The incumbent speaks as if the money and the land belong to him personally.
In his own words, he said he “took $2.5 million and bought a piece of property,” bulldozed it, and decided he is going to “give the land” to selected buyers so that $750,000 homes can be sold for $400,000. He openly described the seven-year work requirement as “golden handcuffs.”
There was no public vote. No meaningful debate. No real opportunity for the people of District 2 to decide whether this was the best use of their money.
District 2 already carries a disproportionate share of the county’s tax burden — roughly 40%. When the incumbent unilaterally directs millions of dollars into special housing deals, it is District 2 property owners who are forced to underwrite them.
Nothing is truly “affordable” when it is paid for by taking more from the people who already shoulder the heaviest tax load. What appears affordable to the recipient is simply a cost shifted onto everyone else — without their consent.
This approach expands government power, picks winners, attaches long-term restrictions to private property, and treats taxpayer money as a personal tool. District 2 does not need more government control over housing or more unilateral decisions about how our money is spent.
We need to do the opposite: Limit government, not people.
Source: Commissioner speaking to Richardson Area Democrats, October 28, 2025 (YouTube)
Metrocare Spending
On July 1, 2026, the Commissioners Court approved $600,000 for an interim CFO at Metrocare, which faces a projected $18 million loss this year. District 2’s share of those projected losses is approximately $7.2 million.
Source: FOX 4 Dallas reporting
