City’s program for the 89th Texas Legislature

January 17, 2025

Irving—More than 2,000 bills filed during the 88th Legislative Session potentially affected local governments. To protect and enhance the City of Irving’s ability to serve its residents, taxpayers and visitors, the following issues are city priorities during the 2025 89th State of Texas Legislative session: 

  1. Amend Chapter 394 of the Local Government Code to require that a Housing Finance Corporation seeking tax exemptions for providing low-income housing must first obtain approval from the city or county where the project is located. 

  2. Support legislation to reform the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system, including possible changes to the governance and taxing structure and/or revenue and spending policies. 

  3. Support legislation that gives local governments the ability to increase, if desired, the homestead property tax exemption beyond the current constitutional cap of 20 percent of assessed value. 

  4. Oppose efforts to remove or limit city authority in land use and development decisions. 

  5. Oppose efforts to censor community input, such as refusing to allow testimony by city leaders on behalf of their residents, and/or prohibiting communication on behalf of local governments by private firms, nonprofit associations and city staff during legislative discussions.  

  6. Protect the city’s ability to control its revenue streams, including property taxes, sales taxes, hotel occupancy taxes and city fees and fines, from state-imposed changes or diversion from the city to the State of Texas. 

  7. Maintain the option to conduct nonpartisan City Council elections, bond elections and other local elections on the May uniform election date. 

  8. Allow decisions relating to operations of public safety departments to be made by city officials. 

  9. Allow residents to vote to authorize a sales tax dedicated to street maintenance and repair.  

  10. Support changes to the Penal Code that allow the newest version of conducted-energy devices, such as a TASER device, to be utilized by police departments without being classified as a firearm. 

  11. Amend cemetery statute regarding new cemeteries inside city limits to authorize only perpetual care cemeteries. 

SOURCE City of Irving 





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