Tape reveals scorn for locals
AUSTIN — House Speaker Dennis Bonnen wanted 2019 to be the “worst session in history of the Legislature” for cities and counties. He wants 2021 to be even worse.
That’s what Bonnen, the No. 3 Republican in state government, said in a secretly recorded meeting with a fellow GOP House member and a moneyed conservative activist. The activist released the audio Tuesday, revealing — among other things — a power play to take the Republicans’ war on smaller governments to a new level.
They talked about their “hate” for cities and counties. They bragged about calling the Austin mayor to testify at two different hearings at the same time earlier this year. And they plotted how to outlaw cities and counties from hiring lobbyists, undermining the political clout of local government.
“I’m that much closer to passing taxpayer-funded lobbying,” Bonnen said at the June meeting in his Capitol office. “Let me tell you something: In this office and in the conference room on that end, any mayor, county judge that was dumbass enough to come meet with me, I told them with great clarity, my goal is for this to be the worst session in the history of Legislature for cities and counties.”
“I hope the next session’s even worse,” added Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock.
“And I’m all for that,” Bonnen added.
Bonnen and Burrows also revealed further plans to undermine local control when lawmakers meet again in 2021. Chief among their priorities is the anti-lobbying bill, they said.
The pair also discussed redirecting city sales tax revenue from economic development projects to buy down local property tax rates. Currently, cities can use the tax revenue to fund sports stadiums, convention centers, city parks, affordable housing or other efforts to attract and retain business.
And there was talk of making it harder for government entities
like schools and cities to manage union payroll deductions for teachers, firefighters and law enforcement.
The audio touched a nerve with local leaders from both political parties, who said the remarks directly attack not only their leadership but the voters who put them in office. For several years, Republicans have targeted local control, seeking to undermine everything from tree ordinances to annexation powers of local governments. Earlier this year, they successfully capped what cities can raise in local property taxes, overriding mayors’ concerns that the limit could hamper spending on services such as police and fire.
Republicans in the Legislature said those caps were necessary to tamp down runaway growth in property taxes — homeowners in
Texas pay on average 2.18 percent of their home’s value each year, the third-highest rate in the nation.
The recorded conversation, however, was a public revelation of the scorn these top GOP officials have for city and county officials across Texas. Burrows was head of the House Republican Caucus when they met in June, but resigned after some of the contents of the recording were published this summer.
‘Rightfully offended’
“Attacks on Texas cities are attacks on all of the people who live in them,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg in a statement. “We mayors spent an extraordinary amount of time at the Capitol this past session because our advocacy is (in) the best interests of the communities we were elected to represent. I believe that most legislators understand that and choose to deal with us in good faith.”
Local leaders are “rightfully
offended” by the recording, said Rep. Travis Clardy, a Nacogdoches Republican who was named a political target in the meeting. The first phone call Clardy received this morning was from a nearby county judge who identified himself as ‘one of those dumbass county judges,’” Clardy said.
Neither Burrows nor Bonnen responded to requests for comment Wednesday. In a two-sentence statement released earlier this week, Bonnen called it a mistake to meet with Michael Quinn Sullivan, the CEO of Empower Texans, and characterized it as a “political discussion.”
The audio includes other incendiary comments, such as Bonnen calling a female lawmaker “vile” and questioning the sexuality of a male House member. Bonnen is also heard trying to make a deal with the activist to spend money against 10 Republican members of the House — including Clardy — and withhold political spending against others in exchange for press credentials. Critics allege his offer constitutes a bribe.
The Texas Rangers are investigating those accusations and will turn over their findings to both the Legislature and Brazoria County District Attorney Jeri Yenne, who will decide whether there is evidence of a crime.
Possible criminal charges include abuse of official capacity,
which covers misusing government property, with varying penalties depending on the value of the item. There is no set value for media credentials. A bribery charge is another possibility. Bonnen’s attorney said this week that neither side would have benefited financially from Bonnen’s offer.
Much of the meeting focused on the bill outlawing taxpayer-funded lobbying, which failed to pass the Republican House this session. At least 130 cities and counties across Texas hired lobbyists this year, state records show.
“Most people don’t understand what the hell taxpayer-funded lobbying does. They don’t know it’s being used against police, fire, taxpayers everything else,” Burrows told Sullivan. “Trying to expose it and build a case will make a difference to getting it passed next session.”
The crux of the issue is whether city councils and commissioners courts are making thoughtful decisions about how to spend taxpayer dollars, said Clardy, who is a proponent of local control.
“It’s been dressed up as taxpayer-funded lobbying,” he said. “I think this is a power grab by certain people who once upon a time believed local control was a principle of conservatism.”
The Texas Municipal Association said hiring lobbyists
is critical since so many bills affect local government and city officials don’t have time to spend all 140 days of the biennial legislative session at the Capitol.
“Mayors don’t have time to read 7,000 bills and digest them and come to Austin for every single one of them,” said Bennett Sandlin, executive director of the Texas Municipal League.
The population of Brazoria County — where Bonnen lives — has nearly doubled in the past two decades. The coastal county needs to expand the roads, fix bridges, add to the size of the courthouse and the county jail, said county Judge L.M. “Matt” Sebesta.
If Bonnen’s push to outlaw lobbyists for cities and counties is successful, he says he would have to take up residence in Austin during the legislative session to advocate against bills that would affect his county.
‘Tough sessions’
“The last 10 years have been tough sessions for cities and counties. There’s just been a behind-thescenes push to make cities and counties the bad guys,” Sebesta said. “Most do a pretty darn good job of dealing with their local issues.”
At the meeting, Burrows revealed another plan targeting cities, by using their sales tax revenue to buy down local property taxes. Cities can levy up to 2 percent sales tax on top of the state’s 6.25 percent charge. He said he had already pitched the idea to Gov. Greg Abbott.
Burrows’ proposal comes after Abbott, Bonnen and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick floated a plan to raise statewide sales taxes to buy down local property tax rates. It was met with fierce resistance from members of both parties, forcing the trio to scrap the idea.
It’s not clear what kind of traction Burrows’ proposal, which would raise money to offset property tax revenue without raising the sales tax for consumers, might gain next session.
Trey Martinez Fischer, a San Antonio Democrat who has years of experience on the House Ways and Means Committee, said he is suspicious of the plan.
“Given revelations in the tapes with regard to Burrows’ view on local government, I’m not sure he is wanting to come up with objective and good public policy,” he said. “I have serious doubts.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said he hopes Bonnen misspoke.
“I think now the question is as we move forward, will the actions be different from the words that were spoken?” Turner said. “And quite frankly, not just by him, but by other state leaders?”