Plans to spend the state budget surplus debated by state lawmakers in Fort Worth

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Your property taxes might take a dip after the upcoming legislative session, as lawmakers look to use the state’s $20 billion surplus to reduce housing costs.

State Senator Phil King, R-Weatherford, floated the idea at a Thursday event with fellow lawmakers state Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, and state Rep. Salman Bhojani, D-Euless, held by The Texas Tribune. King said he believes single-family housing would be a big focus of the tax cuts. Last year, voters approved using the surplus for an $18 billion property tax-cut package for Texas homeowners and businesses.

The conversation, at Tarrant County College’s Trinity River Campus, focused on investment in communities through state commitments to housing and education. Questions from the audience centered on how the state’s budget surplus would be put to use.

Moderator James Barragán, a political reporter at The Tribune, asked the legislators how they sought to deal with rising home prices. Bhojani suggested reducing expenses associated with regulatory compliance for builders, which he says would make it easier to build affordable homes. Collier recommended regulating home insurance prices to ease one of the biggest costs associated with homeownership. King largely blamed increased home prices on inflation and talked about a surplus-funded tax cut.

Cordial conflict arose when one audience member asked about using the surplus for public education. Another audience member said investment in public education would be her deciding issue at the polls in November. King, the lone Republican on the panel, advocated for “school choice” — policies that allow the use of public funding for all schools, including private and charter schools. Collier and Bhojani, both Democrats, received applause for standing in support of fully funding public schools and preventing public money from being used to fund private schools.

King also mentioned that the state Senate passed a bill last session to increase teachers salaries using the surplus, but the bill wasn’t picked up by the House.

The $20 billion surplus comes from conservative budgeting and a boast-worthy economy, according to King. King took pride in Texas’ growth in the technology sector — a sector all the panelists were adamant about supporting through education.

All three panelists went to community colleges, and each touched on the economic benefits of providing higher education. Collier and Bhojani spoke about increasing access and maintaining affordability for community colleges to maintain an educated workforce.

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The two Democrats condemned the passing of a DEI ban for public higher education, pronouncing it a barrier to entry for students of color while reaffirming the importance of diversity in schools and workplaces. King disagreed, minimizing concerns of systemic racism and saying he favors a colorblind approach to collegiate education.

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