Civic Insights with David Billings
Although the 89th Regular Session has ended, two special sessions have followed, and legislators continue debating bills with serious local consequence often without input from city officials who understand their real-world impact.
A prime example is Senate Bill 10 89th (2) (S.B. 10). The House amendments would have lowered the voter-approval tax rate (VAR) multiplier and limited the public safety adjustment to cities with populations over 75,000. Fortunately, the bill failed during the second special session when the Senate and House couldn’t agree on the conference report. Still, as interim committee meetings begin in 2026, we must monitor which failed bills like S.B. 10 (2) will return.
Cities like Fate and Heath are building new public safety facilities to meet rapid population growth. Restricting access to the public safety adjustment for smaller cities creates a funding gap that could delay construction, staffing, and readiness directly impacting emergency response times. Public safety shouldn’t depend on population thresholds.
Josephine, serving about 12,000 residents and nearby MUDs, could lose access to this funding altogether, leaving new facilities without sufficient personnel. Residents can’t afford slower emergency responses because of legislative limits written for “big city” problems.
S.B. 10 advanced quickly through the legislative process, making it difficult for local leaders to respond in time. Meanwhile, large lobbying organizations spend significant resources in Austin, while cities, already stretched thin, have limited ability to counter the deep influence of lobbyists at all levels of state government.
Put simply, lawmakers are making decisions that directly affect local governments while limiting their ability to influence legislation. Imagine if a city made major decisions without public input residents would be outraged. Yet the state increasingly does just that.
As amended, S.B. 10 would create inequities between large and small cities, ignoring the fact that smaller, fast-growing communities often face the same or greater demands for police, fire, and EMS services. One-size-fits-all legislation doesn’t reflect the realities of local growth.
As I have said many times, the lesson is clear: small and mid-sized cities must work together to ensure their voices are heard. By sharing data, coordinating advocacy, and building a united front, cities like Rockwall, Fate, Heath, McClendon-Chism, Rowlett, Josephine, etc can help shape fair, practical legislation to solve real-problems.
Local governance matters. Public safety matters. And now is the time to act—before future legislative sessions make decisions without cities at the table.
About the Author
David Billings, retired Mayor of Fate, has served the community for over a decade. A longtime business leader in the telecommunication industry, Navy veteran, and resident of Rockwall County, he brings both professional and civic experience to his writing on government, budgeting, and local economics. He is a graduate of Leadership Rockwall, North Texas Commission Leadership Program, active in several Rockwall County non-profits boards, and the American Legion.
He is passionate about civic involvement in local government, maintaining transparent governance and thoughtful strategic planning to preserve a bright future for the regions.
