City council members reviewed the agenda at an Oct. 21 meeting and will consider approval for adoption at a November or December meeting, according to district documents.
The details
The legislature is expected to consider legislation on a wide range of issues with a direct impact on municipal governments and school districts.
In the draft agenda, Coppell city staff and City Council members expressed positions on legislative issues concerning property tax caps, revenue caps, short-term rentals, education funding, teacher retirement, healthcare, transportation. They also outlined the following other priorities.
- Sales tax sourcing legislation
- Hotel occupancy tax revenues for park improvements
- Infrastructure
- Broadband and smart cities
- Oil and gas wells
- Housing finance corporations
- Local decisions
- Expenditure limitations
- Alcoholic beverage sales
According to the draft agenda, Coppell opposes legislation that would alter how cities generate revenues or require voter approval of revenue increases, and all efforts to implement property tax caps.
The city also opposes any measures that would limit or remove the ability for cities to make local decisions on behalf of their communities as well as any loosening of restrictions on the sale of alcohol and its proximity to schools, parks, and churches.
Coppell officials support legislation that increases the basic allotment in state education funding and increases teacher retirement funds, according to agenda documents. Coppell ISD has experienced over 20% inflation since the state increased school funding in 2019. This has caused CISD to adopt a $7.5 million shortfall budget in fiscal year 2024-25 and close schools.
Also of note
City officials also listed support for increasing access to and modernizing health care, strengthening of the electric grid and increasing cities’ ability to control the site of oil and gas wells.
Additionally, officials also supported a reduction in recapture payments for Coppell ISD and expressed that the voucher issue takes money from public education.
A bill filed in 2023 would have provided $5.2 billion for school funding and teacher raises, however it was paired with another that sought to provide $500 million for private school vouchers.
