School funding, infrastructure and a Texas Qualified Hotel Project are among Allen officials' priorities for the 2027 Texas Legislature, which begins in January.
Members of Allen City Council, the Allen ISD board of trustees and the Allen Chamber of Commerce outlined goals for the 2027 Texas legislative session at an Oct. 29 meeting.
The overview
Allen City Council approved its list of six priorities during an Oct. 27 meeting. City leaders aim to work collaboratively with state leaders while also protecting the ability of local officials to respond to the community’s unique needs, assistant city manager Rebecca Vice said.
The city of Allen’s six priorities are:
Kalahari/the Texas Qualified Hotel Project
Protecting fiscal capacity and essential services
Preserving locally accountable decision-making
Supporting public safety and community resilience
Partnering on infrastructure and long-term sustainability
Supporting strong local schools
The specifics
Kalahari Resorts and Conventions is looking to develop a $950 million resort including an indoor and outdoor waterpark in Allen at the southwest corner of SH 121 and Stacy Road.
During the 2023 legislative session, a bill was passed including the city of Allen in the Qualified Hotel Project, which is a program that provides a rebate on hotel occupancy tax and sales tax for 10 years, said Dan Bowman, president and CEO of the Allen Economic Development Corp. Due to rising construction costs and high interest rates, projects like Kalahari have become more expensive, so city leaders are asking legislators to extend the program to 20 years, he said.
“Without the QHP benefits, these projects just are not financeable at this point,” Bowman said.
In addition to this economic incentive, city leaders are also seeking support for local schools.
“Our city council recognizes that strong public schools contribute directly to the quality of life here in Allen,” Vice said.
Allen ISD leaders approved a list of legislative priorities in September focused on teacher recruitment and retention, school funding and more. Allen ISD board Vice President Bill Parker reviewed each priority during the joint meeting, which includes:
Support the recruitment and retention of highly qualified teachers and support staff
Adequately fund public schools and state mandates
Preserve local decision-making to best support students
Ensure accountability for all publicly funded education organizations.
Priorities were established after speaking to local legislators, attending webinars and comparing notes with neighboring school districts and districts around the state, Parker said.
“We really had a pretty broad overview of what was going on around us,” he said. “We took all of that and looked locally and said ‘What do we really need?’”
Quality local schools also contribute to Allen’s ability to attract companies, Allen Chamber of Commerce CEO Kyle Jacobson said.
“Anything we can do to continue to make Allen the best of the best from a school standpoint is repaid to us, I think, tenfold when it comes to economic activity and our overall attractiveness as a community,” he said.
Board President Polly Montgomery said district leaders want to continue providing an “extraordinary experience” for their students and teachers.
“Nobody moves to Allen for fine schools or even good schools,” Montgomery said. “They move to Allen because they want an extraordinary experience and that’s our role. It’s to make sure that we keep things extraordinary.”
Looking ahead
The legislative session will begin Jan. 12, and March 12 is the last day to file bills, Allen ISD’s Chief Communications Officer David Hicks said. City leaders will have an opportunity to go to Austin and have conversations with legislators on Allen Days, scheduled for Feb. 2-4, Hicks said.
