As Tarrant County lawmakers prepare to kick off the Texas legislative session Jan. 14, Fort Worth Report journalists are exploring the policies set to be shaped in Austin. Click here for more legislative coverage.
Arlington City Council is going into 2025 with a five-pronged to-do list for the Texas Legislature.
Officials approved Arlington’s legislative priorities in early fall. Three guiding principles thread through the city’s five categories of priorities for the state’s biannual lawmaking frenzy.
The city wants lawmakers to preserve local governments’ authority, meet the needs of large cities and minimize unfunded mandates.
Here’s what Arlington hopes for the legislative session.
The city lists education as its first priority item and mirrors much of the Arlington ISD school board’s legislative agenda.
As lawmakers consider expanding private school choice, Arlington City Council wants the state to ensure transparent and uniform accountability for all schools.
The city also supports:
As Arlington grows, how the city has navigated land use issues — including zoning, regulating and licensing construction — has become more complex and challenges the city’s ability to sustain stable housing and living options for all income levels, according to the legislative agenda.
Arlington expects to reach 400,000 in 2025. In the past 10 years, an estimated 17,000 residents have moved in, according to World Population Review.
The city had 156,016 housing units in 2023, a 2.26% increase from 2022, according to an annual development report released in March. The population increase spurred a 24.3% rise in nonresidential new construction permits in 2023.
As the state tackles housing and environmental issues, Arlington wants:
Arlington wants lawmakers to support initiatives that expand public transportation funding, while also allowing flexibility to develop, put in place and enforce the city’s plans.
The city is the largest in the U.S. without a fixed public transit system. While it does not offer bus or rail services, it offers a ride-sharing, taxi-like service, Arlington On-Demand.
Arlington also asks for designated funding for spaceports in municipal general airports. The city is planned to hold the future headquarters and manufacturing plant of E-Space, a global telecommunications and satellite manufacturer that could benefit from state-funded launch sites.
Arlington also wants lawmakers to support legislation that:
The city wants the state to support its investments into the Arlington Entertainment District, an economic hub of the city featuring AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, Six Flags Over Texas and the Esports Stadium and Expo Center.
In March, the National Medal of Honor will open its doors in the entertainment district. In 2026, the area will hold nine matches of the FIFA World Cup, which is expected to bring in about $2 billion to the regional economy.
The city asks lawmakers to continue supporting Texas’ Event Trust Funds Program, which helps cities pay costs related to preparing for and hosting large events. Ahead of an event, the state pre-deposits an event’s projected local and state tax revenue into a dedicated event-specific trust fund to cover allowable expenses.
Arlington has used the program to host large events like WWE WrestleMania 38 in 2022 and the 2020 Big 12 Football Conference Championship Game.
Arlington also wants lawmakers to back bills that:
Relating to public safety, Arlington supports legislation that:
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Drew Shaw is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at [email protected] or @shawlings601.
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Drew Shaw is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. He previously worked as an intern at Al Jazeera and the managing editor at The Shorthorn, UT-Arlington’s student publication. Shaw grew up in... More by Drew Shaw