Over the last few months, local property taxes have been described as: “steep,” “burdensome,” “stressful,” “too high,” and “out-of-control.”
Yet despite these sharp (and accurate!) criticisms of Texas’ property tax, many local governments seem oblivious to the system’s excesses, as evidenced by the adoption of high tax rates this year (see TPPF’s Taxman Cometh series) as well as historical tax, spending, and debt patterns. Worse, what once may have been excused as indifference or detachment now borders on exploitation.
Consider some recent revelations about local government compensation.
Earlier this month, the Texas Education Agency updated its superintendent salary database, revealing some jaw-dropping new details about administrator pay for the 2025-26 school year. For instance:
- The highest paid superintendent in Texas was located in Harlandale ISD and his total pay was $655,737. The district’s student enrollment was just 11,114 kids and its most recent A – F accountability score was a ‘D.’
- Following Harlandale ISD, the next highest paying districts were: Birdville ISD ($551,576); Cypress-Fairbanks ISD ($520,231); Barbers Hill ISD ($513,061); Klein ISD ($508,554); Killeen ISD ($508,057).
- Total compensation for the top 25 best paid superintendents was between $411,061 and $655,737 per year. All but one of these administrators (i.e., Sehba Ali, KIPP Public Schools) was employed by a traditional ISD.
- Total compensation for the top 100 best paid superintendents averaged $389,957 per year.
Of course, these impressively immodest salaries are not just paid for by local taxpayers, but also by federal and state taxpayers too, which is alluded to in this Texas Education Agency report. Which is to say, every Texas taxpayer ought to have an interest here.
Now, superintendents are not the only ones benefitting greatly at taxpayer expense. Other employment positions, like city managers, are also raking it in.
- Effective January 2025, San Antonio’s city manager received a nearly $87,000 pay raise—or 23%–bringing his base salary to $461,000 plus benefits, like “a $500 monthly car allowance.” That perk brought his total pay package to $476,300 per year.
Superintendents and city managers are certainly among the state’s highest paid local government employees. But that’s not to say that other positions are not well-compensated—or that, in some cases, those positions aren’t paid more! Here are some recent examples to consider: the Bexar County Judge ($209,000); Dallas County’s chief information officer ($339,999.96); Harris County’s interim director of Public Health Services ($456,976), county engineer ($479,835), and budget director ($411,278); Barbers Hill ISD football coach ($179,917); Collin County Community College District’s president ($813,366), El Paso Community College District’s president ($621,389), and San Jacinto College’s chancellor ($620,506); and still many more.
Indeed, the local government landscape is littered with examples of high pay and perks—many that are well beyond the bounds of reasonability. This matters because local budgets are primarily paid for with property taxes. So as governments spend more on public sector salaries and benefits climb, then more tax revenue is required from property taxpayers.
In other words, more spending leads to higher taxes.
If we are to ever re-establish firm control over property taxes—or even better, “to drive a stake through the heart of local property tax hikes for good”—then it is essential for state lawmakers to check local government (over-)spending in all its many different forms, including excessive compensation.
With local spending properly restrained, “soaring tax bills” can finally be brought down to earth. For good.
