Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González
Texas Border Business
At the McAllen Legislative Wrap-Up Luncheon on October 3, 2025, Rep. Sergio Muñoz Jr. (D–District 36) highlighted education, property tax policy, and workforce training as key issues from the 89th Texas Legislative Session. The luncheon was held at the Embassy Suites Convention Center and hosted by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and the McAllen Economic Development Corporation.
Muñoz said one of the most significant outcomes was the allocation of new funding for schools and teachers. “About $4 billion of that $8 billion into education is tied to teacher pay raises,” he explained, referring to the $8.5 billion increase in school funding approved by lawmakers. He emphasized that the raises should not be a one-time fix. “That pay raise is not going to be a one-time measure but should be a permanent… allotment going forward.”
Regarding property taxes, Muñoz pointed to November ballot measures that would expand homestead exemptions and provide business property tax relief, but suggested that long-term solutions remain open to debate. “We are going to have it on the ballot in terms of increasing the homestead exemption,” he said. “But hopefully at some point in the future, we hear a lot about people wanting to eliminate property taxes. So, who knows, maybe one day we should put that on the ballot too, for people to vote on if they want to or not.”
Muñoz also addressed his opposition to the education savings account program, also known as vouchers. He argued that the funding levels proposed under the measure were insufficient and inequitable. “If the average cost of educating a child is $15,000, more or less, and you’re only offering $10,800 through the education savings account, then you’re not even putting it on the same level as the student going to public education,” he said. He added that homeschool families would receive only $2,000, which he said, “really covers very little when it comes to educating a child, even when it’s just talking about material.”
Beyond K–12 education, Muñoz noted the importance of higher education and technical training to the region’s economic growth. He highlighted a proposition that would provide Texas State Technical College with a dedicated source of funding. “That is really important when it comes to workforce and skill development, not only for the Rio Grande Valley, but throughout the state,” he said. He argued that investment in technical education benefits the region. “If it benefits one community or one county within the Rio Grande Valley, it’s going to have a positive effect throughout the lower Rio Grande Valley and throughout the state.”
Muñoz concluded by emphasizing the importance of fairness in education funding and tax policy. “We know water, education, and transportation are important to all of us,” he said. “We had a session where we did have an opportunity to invest in all those aspects, but we know that the work continues going forward.”
See related stories:
