Chad and Pat are back with a wide ranging discussion, including upcoming sales tax numbers, inflation's impact on pay, Austin's minimum PD staffing proposition, zoning's impact on our supply chain problems, guerrilla speed bump installations, and the urban scooter movement.

• Comptroller's October sales tax announcement
• Austin's Prop A
• Ryan Peterson's port-related Tweetstorm
• Zach Klein's guerrilla speed bump installation Tweetstorm

• UMANT Strong Towns event (Sep 24, 2021)
• TML Conference Houston (Oct 6-8, 2021)

In this episode, we assess the state of post-Covid sales tax recovery in Texas, talk about proposals to replace property taxes with a value added tax, and wrap up with a discussion about designing public spaces to delight.

After a brief hiatus, we're back talking about a proposal for a National Infrastructure Bank, and we revisit the recommendations GFOA made to help cities weather the fiscal storm of Covid-19.

• Chuck Marohn Tweet thread
• National Infrastructure Bank Coalition
• GFOA - Cash is King
• "We have no idea who the good guy is" - Y'allitics Podcast

• Beer? Money? States and cities offer incentives to get vaccinated (NYT)
• HB 4072 in-depth (ZacCast)
• HB 4072 Committee Version
• State sales tax revenue update for April 2021

• HB 4072 (and the totally worthless/misleading fiscal note)
• Is it worth the time? - XKCD
• The Bonnen Tapes episode - ZacCast

• Comparing apples and printers (March 2021 ZacTax Roundup)
• Signup for the ZacTax Roundup

Editor's note: I'm very sorry that Patrick has subjected you, our dear listener, to another forced attempt at ridiculing the University of Texas on what is otherwise an extremely valuable podcast for local public managers. While I did my best to keep the discussion geared toward local government issues, if you don't wish to hear our friendly bickering about Texas vs Texas A&M, you are welcome to skip from minute 37:30 until about the last 30 seconds of the episode. - Chad

Texas cities have been fighting the state legislature over property tax revenue caps for years, but what if they've just been a symptom of the underlying problem? In this episode, we dig further into the problem with the commercial appraisal mechanisms, how they've shifted the tax burden to residential homeowners, and how the legislative response to that phenomenon continues to make the situation worse.

In this grab bag episode: parking violation snitching, poo in the river, endangered affordable housing, Texas' convoluted property tax system, the City of Denton sues Ercot, Walmart/Target, and how to properly bag groceries.

• You could report illegal parking in NYC -- and get paid to do it, under new bill
• New lights, warning signs alert for sewage overflows into the Conestoga River
• Is Texas’s Affordable Housing Endangered?
• Denton Files Suit Against ERCOT Over ‘Illegal and Unconstitutional' Raid

On Tuesday, March 2, Texas Governor Abbott has declared an end to state mask mandates and a near-complete reopening of Texas business. We discuss whether this makes sense at this time, and the impact it might have on local governments.

• Texas governor lifts mask mandate and allows businesses to open at 100% capacity, despite health officials' warnings
• NYT Daily: Odessa, Part 1