Tarleton MPA Nation

I am an MPA Student at Tarleton.

Here is my post and question:

Taxation

So a a topic that I have been learning on appears to be an anomaly to not only Texas but also to seems just the DFW area.  That is the Crime Control Prevention District.  I lived in the City of Fort Worth from 2007 to 2013.  Fort Worth operates a crime control budget for 2017 is proposed at  $74,884,251.  This money is derived from the 1/2 cent sales tax on purchases made in the City of Fort Worth.  That is nearly $75 million dollars. This is money that comes from a regressive tax that appears to add up substantially.  This is money that is used, especially in Fort Worth for a wide variety of uses from leasing a new helicopter for the police department to funding after school and parenting programs for youth and disadvantaged parent.  Several cities in the area also use this form of taxation for fundraising. If you will pay attention many of the patrol cars on the street today in these communities have a "Funded by CCPD" marking on the trunk.   The definition of what qualifies as a crime control prevention eligible program appears to depend on the city.  Fort Worth seems to have a fairly liberal definition as to qualifications, but funds important programs that may not get the funding if not for it. 

Obviously this sales tax frees up other accounts including General Funds, Police Department Budgets and others.  The observation and accountability of these budgets is by a citizen or appointed community panel that appears to be made up of 5-9 members depending on the city that report to the city council.  

Here is my discussion piece.  If $75 million dollars is pulled separately from the operating budget and is operated as a separate entity for the purpose of the broad subject matter of 'crime control prevention':

1- why are not more cities doing this

2- what pit falls do you potentially see

3- Should there be more knowledge about these tax districts to the citizens as well as input.

Review the Fort Worth budget proposal for 2017 here. 

http://fortworthgov.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=2540&meta_id=299846

C. Aller

 

Hello Tarleton MPA Nation.

The fall semester of the MPA program at Tarleton is off to a robust start. All our class offerings made with over 80 students taking classes from Public Administration to Critical Social Problems. Our students come all walks of public administration environments -- federal government, education, police officers, public works, city management, fire fighters, corrections, nonprofits and NGO employees. We even have a couple private sector folks interested in branching into the public sector. Welcome, all.


We offered 5 online courses and 3 face-to-face. Students are exploring public budgeting, public policy and policy analysis, intergovernmental relations, critical incident management, critical social issues, and intro into public administration.


As you all know, we are in the middle of a presidential campaign. While the candidates themselves create a great deal of political theater, it is the policy issues that I find most germane to the Administrative State.


So, I hope you all start paying attention to what the candidates say about all the policy issues that usually accompany such campaign silliness. However, more often than not, what the candidates talk about, what makes the list of items to be included in the debate circuit, we in public administration will have to deal with the fallout or deal with the process of formulating, negotiating and implementing those very policy initiatives.


Have fun, don't take what the candidates say to serious, especially what they say about each other, focus on the policy issues and ask yourself this question, if I have to deal with the policy issues being debated, how would I go about it?

Dr. G. M. Cox, Chief (Ret)
Asst. Professor
Director, MPA Program