PropQ is written to make you think:
>> Your taxes will increase for a fixed period of time, like a bond issue.
>> Your new tax payments will pay for specific programs.
That’s not true.
The truth is PropQ simply gives the city more of your tax money to misspend ... forever.
>> The tax increase is not for a limited time. PropQ is a “forever tax”.
>> The tax revenue is not legally required to be spent on any specific programs. The PropQ write-up describes “…reduce homelessness; improve parks and recreation facilities and services; enhance public health services and public safety …” But that’s not true. The new tax revenue will just go into the city’s general fund to be spent as council decides.
>> Some of the new tax revenue might be spent on “housing affordability” and to “ensure financial stability” as the write-up describes. But both of those terms are so ill-defined that the city can spend the money anyway it wants.
>> Texas Supreme Court Judge Evan A. Young stated “The City’s lengthy purpose statement [for PropQ] includes a laundry list of programs and then tacks on a catchall provision: ‘and provide for other general fund maintenance and operation expenditures included in the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget as approved or amended by City Council.’ In other words, what the new revenue ultimately does is increase the City’s general budget …” https://cases.justia.com/texas/supreme-court/2025-25-0754.pdf?ts=1757978524
Judge Bill Aleshire’s letter explains in detail how PropQ’s wording is misleading. https://www.oraatx.com/bill-aleshire-on-prop-q-misleading-language