Taxpayer Empowerment

TPPF’s Jose Melendez sits down with Save Austin Now’s Matt Mackowiak to discuss Austin’s Proposition Q, a controversial ballot measure that would raise city property taxes by 20%. They break down what Prop Q would actually do, why the City of Austin is asking voters to approve the tax increase, and the growing concerns from Austinites about affordability, government spending, and transparency.

TPPF’s Jose Melendez sits down with Texas State Representative Helen Kerwin to discuss major property tax reform and the potential elimination of property taxes in Texas. Rep. Kerwin also shares details about her PFAS legislation designed to keep harmful chemicals out of fertilizer and protect Texas farmers and families. Plus, they expose how taxpayer-funded lobbyists were paid to fight against th...

TPPF's Jose Melendez sits down with Chris Baker, founder of The Other Ones Foundation, to discuss the growing homelessness crisis in Texas. Chris shares how he got involved in helping the homeless community, why he founded The Other Ones Foundation, and what solutions could make a real impact.

TPPF’s Jose Melendez and Judge Shepard are joined by Co-State Director for Convention of States Texas Darren York to break down the 2025 Texas constitutional amendments on the ballot this November. Learn what each amendment means for Texas voters — from technical college funding and water infrastructure funding to new taxes, bail denial, and more.

TPPF’s Jose Melendez sits down with Rep. Terri Leo-Wilson to discuss critical issues shaping Texas education policy and how the Texas Legislature is working to improve outcomes for students. They also dive into pressing taxpayer concerns, including the rising local government debt in Texas, the influence of taxpayer-funded lobbying, and more.

TPPF’s Jose Melendez sits down with Representative Cody Vasut to break down the latest efforts at the Texas Legislature to deliver real property tax relief and stop government entities from using your tax dollars to lobby against you.

TPPF’s Jose Melendez sits down with his colleague James Quintero to break down the latest from the Texas Legislature’s special session and what it means for Texas taxpayers. They discuss the recently passed SB 10, which lowers the Voter Approval Tax Rate from 3.5% to 2.5%, and explore how this change impacts property taxes across Texas.

TPPF’s Jose Melendez sits down with San Antonio City Councilman Marc Whyte to break down the importance of zero-based budgeting in San Antonio. Discover how this budgeting approach can rein in excessive local government spending, improve city accountability, and give taxpayers a stronger voice in how their dollars are used.

TPPF's Jose Melendez is joined by Former Alvin City Council Member Joel Castro to discuss local government's increasing amount of bond debt, runaway spending, bond election reform and more. 

On this episode of Taxpayer Empowerment, TPPF's Jose Melendez and Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody of Precinct 3 to discuss implementing local spending limits and tax reform to help taxpayers across Texas and stop local governments from eating up your property tax relief.

TPPF's Jose Melendez sits down with Ben Crockett to discuss Ben's experience dealing with taxpayer-funded lobbyists in the legislature while advocating for a piece of legislation he and his fellow Texas A&M classmates drafted.