In this episode, Chad and Patrick discuss innovations in local government presented at the AFI conference last week, and check in on the Texas Legislature as the session is kicking into high gear. Timestamps 00:00 Legislative Updates and AFI Innovations 11:05 The Voucher Debate in Texas Politics 21:02 Local Government Legislation and Its Implications 32:19 Impact of Corporations on Local Economies 34:04 Legislative Challenges and Political Interests 36:11 Property Tax Legislation and Its Implica...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr
In this episode, Chad and Patrick discuss the current state of the economy, focusing on market uncertainty and the challenges faced by city managers in forecasting sales tax revenues. They explore the importance of data-driven decision-making and the use of leading indicators to understand consumer behavior. The conversation reflects on past economic crises and emphasizes the need for caution in navigating current economic challenges, advocating for a measured approach to decision-making during ...
Apr 04, 2025•46 min
In this episode, Chad and Patrick highlight 5 bills pending in the Texas House. What are they, and what might they mean for local governments across the state? Join us to find out! Timestamps 00:00 Greetings 07:13 On to the legislative session 14:23 HB 250 16:33 HB 416 30:18 HB 217 37:18 HB 1433 52:21 HB 924 56:21 School funding and wrap-up
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 18 min
In this first episode of 2025, Pat and Chad hit a wide range of topics and do our best to avoid derailing the conversation with too much college football. Timestamps 04:25 - TPPF Property Tax Proposals 29:51 - TPPF on "Home Sharing" 40:16 - Congestion pricing in New York City 54:12 - Texas AG sues Allstate 67:48 - Comptroller's Biennial Revenue Estimate for 2025-26 Links Asterisk (Merriam-Webster) 15 Ways to Improve the M&O Property Tax (TPPF) Defending Home-Sharing is About Protecting Basic...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr 11 min
In this (probably) final episode of 2024, Pat has a couple of water related articles to discuss. Join us as we talk about how groundwater use is affecting the earth's axis; how bottled water may be way less healthy than tap water; and of course, as we recap the return of Texas vs A&M after 13 long years. 00:00 - Welcome back... 01:37 - Patrick makes excuses for A&M's performance against Texas 05:26 - National Signing Day updates 11:06 - Are we changing the earth's rotation via groundwate...
Dec 05, 2024•52 min
This week's episode centers on a Texas Monthly piece titled "Why does Texas have so little public land?" Pat and Chad talk about the article and discuss whether cities can improve their development patterns and fiscal health by emphasizing the acquisition of more public space. Topics 00:52 - Why does Texas have so little public land? 04:28 - Patrick proposes using public land acquisition to combat fiscally unproductive sprawl 07:54 - Distinguishing local parks and green space from urban growth b...
Oct 08, 2024•48 min
On this epic episode, we welcome Chuck Marohn, founder and president of Strong Towns. Chuck's bestselling new book, Escaping the Housing Trap, kicks off the conversation, which winds its way through a variety of important issues facing cities today. Topics 02:33 - What is the housing trap? 04:05 - Pre-Depression era housing finance 08:00 - Government response to Depression vs the 2008 Housing Crisis 13:15 - Supply and Demand vs Finance as causes of the housing crisis 16:04 - Did we get here via ...
Sep 26, 2024•1 hr 36 min
On this somewhat feisty episode of ZacCast, Patrick and Chad discuss the built-in assumptions behind our development patterns, compare development in DFW and Houston, talk traffic planning, and talk about the problems with the electricity rate-making process in Texas. Stay tuned for a semi-lighting round at the end. 03:58 - Do we have some built-in assumptions about how cities grow? 21:39 - DFW vs Houston: development showdown 26:55 - Pre-approved development plans, yea or nay? 28:59 - RE: thoro...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 10 min
In this episode, Patrick and Chad drop some hot takes on the appraisal changes recently approved by the Tarrant Appraisal District. We talk about addressing the symptoms of the property tax system in Texas versus addressing the illness. We discuss the upcoming September sales tax allocation. And college football is back, so we spend some time talking about week 1 to wrap up the episode. 01:15 - Tarrant Appraisal District goes its own way 26:28 - Are split tax rates a way to address the illness o...
Sep 05, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Summer break is over and ZacCast is back at full strength. Today's episode is all about the economy. From macro to micro, how can cities prepare for what's next? 01:04 - Dr Evil and Mini-me 07:00 - What's the deal with the economy? 08:02 - The Sahm Rule: triggered 11:02 - August inflation numbers 14:40 - Real estate and interest rates 17:14 - Have cities already been in recession mode? 20:28 - Retail's struggles 27:58 - Electricity and insurance increases putting pressure on household budgets 34...
Aug 14, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Join us as we catch up and chat about life and cities in this grab bag episode: 00:10 - Patrick's waterpark excursions 02:53 - Patrick reviews Kalahari 01:40 - Is Schlitterbahn slipping? 12:09 - Kalahari vs Great Wolf Lodge 13:48 - Patrick reviews Schlitterbahn 20:41 - Fast Pass, yea or nay? 26:05 - The value of good customer service, and lessons for cities 33:48 - Good customer service -> good user experience 35:25 - What kind of city do we want to retire in? 37:03 - Pat's Poli Sci Corner 53...
Jul 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min
In this episode, Patrick and Chad look at the Scottie Scheffler arrest and subsequent dismissal of charges from the perspective of a city manager. What went wrong and how can you do better? Then we consider the legacy of the Progressive Movement's impact on city management and discuss whether the paradigm it ushered in has us thinking about cities the wrong way. 05:47 - The Scottie Scheffler mishap from a city manager's perspective 27:24 - Does our MPA train us to look at cities the wrong way? S...
May 30, 2024•57 min
In this episode, Pat and Chad talk about inflation remaining stubborn and how cities can/should better report their infrastructure liabilities. 00:00 - on pets 01:55 - on inflation 16:10 - on assets and liabilities
May 17, 2024•41 min
On this episode, we talk about: The world's most expensive bathroom, the regulations that led to it, and how can we be better in our own cities? Houston is broke, but why? McKinsey suggests automated vehicles will induce continued population expansion into outer ring neighborhoods and rural areas Timestamps 00:22 - New TeamZac member 01:32 - Setting hiring policy on the podcast 02:55 - Generations Z and Alpha 03:51 - The difference between Pat and Chad 06:09 - The most expensive public restroom ...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 5 min
In this episode, Chad and Pat debrief from the Utah City Managers Association conference and talk about differences in management cultures among these United States. We talk about the growing concern of a doom loop cycle in urban commercial real estate, what is a doom loop, why do they happen, and how can cities mitigate their impacts or avoid them altogether. We follow up with a conversation about how to compare and evaluate the quality of your downtowns. Finally, we chat about a recent think p...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 4 min
In this episode, we talk about: The sales tax implications of Amazon lockers and whether remote taxpayers should be subjected to detailed audits to verify that their tax payments are accurate; Recent changes to Appraisal Board composition and various other property tax topics a recent Y'allitics episode stirred up; and Zoning reform measures likely headed to Texas in the next legislative session. 00:30 - April Fool's Day Recap 04:30 - No Soap Radio 08:45 - Amazon Lockers and auditing remote sale...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Fresh off of Spring Break and without a lot of hard hitting topics to discuss, Pat and Chad bounce between friendly and city topics. 00:12 - Intro 00:42 - Spring Break activities 03:09 - Paw Patrol Live (and other such shows) 05:25 - Kids YouTube 08:00 - Bozo The Clown , Homie the Clown, and Dougie the Whale 10:45 - Paw Patrol revisited 13:20 - Disney plot holes 14:56 - What are we watching? 16:34 - Rents are falling in Austin 19:08 - Population surge in the Texas Triangle 21:52 - Moneyball for ...
Mar 22, 2024•39 min
In this episode, Pat and Chad talk about a couple of big reversals. First, March sales tax allocations in Texas appear to have unwound all of the audit adjustments from last month. Pat and Chad talk about the impacts and how we can put Humpty Dumpty back together moving forward. Then, in the wake of Tuesday's primary elections, we discuss what "local control" means and if our conventional view of the concept might need its own reversal. When should cities have autonomy? Are there first principle...
Mar 07, 2024•43 min
A major sales tax audit adjustment hit cities across the state of Texas in February. Chad and Patrick talk about the adjustment and some issues it highlighted. We follow up with a discussion on the recent performance of downtowns versus power centers, and the under-appreciated role that downtowns play in differentiating your city.
Feb 22, 2024•58 min
In this episode: (01:20) Sales tax momentum has been slowing for some time now. We dig in to the numbers and issue a red flag warning as cities head into mid-year budget amendments and next year's budget cycle. Sales tax momentum continues to slow in Texas (ZacTax blog) (10:10) An episode of WSJ's The Journal podcast piqued Patrick's interest, so we discuss the UK post office scandal and lessons to be learned for city managers. The Computer Glitch That Caused Nearly 1,000 Convictions (WSJ's The ...
Jan 25, 2024•42 min
Pat and Chad are back for the first episode of 2024. After some throat-clearing chit chat, we discuss: What do you do when a local news report or social media post gains traction, but you know the meat of the story isn't true? And how can cities be proactive in their communities to avoid such things in the first place? What's going on in the Texas legislature on school funding, and what's the impact on cities? Although the title might suggest it, there is no explicit content in this episode!...
Jan 16, 2024•55 min
In this episode, Patrick and Chad talk about softening retail sales figures and changes to the retail real estate landscape. We finish with a March Madness style Christmas movie showdown. The American Store is Shrinking (WSJ)
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 1 min
On today's episode, Pat and Chad talk about the holidays, from retail sales forecasts to planning holiday events to the appropriate time to start decorating. And because we can never seem to get through a fall episode without it, stick around for a spirited college football discussion. Timestamps 00:32 - Holiday retail sales forecasts 13:12 - The joys of public events at the holidays 23:23 - Are we cool with decorating before Thanksgiving? 33:48 - Gratuitous college football razzing...
Nov 30, 2023•49 min
Newest TeamZac member Maria Skrut joins the show as we talk about a recent NY Times article on the future of drive-throughs. Where does the drive-through rank on the hierarchy of good urban design? Is the rise of the drive-through a result of growing anti-social behavior, as the article suggests? And what is the drive-through's impact on walkability, community development, and social capital? Hungry (but Not for Human Contact), Americans Head for the Drive-Through (NYT) Taylor Swift Meme...
Nov 16, 2023•51 min
Household savings skyrocketed during the pandemic. Now that they're falling back to Earth, will retail sales come down with them? What other headwinds might stand in the way of the significant growth we've seen since 2020? Also, is Trunk-or-Treat a harmless Halloween innovation or a sign that we have given up on creating safe, walkable neighborhoods? Timelines 00:00 - Throat clearing 05:15 - What's up in retail? 14:18 - Headwinds for 2024-2025? 23:45 - Is Trunk-or-Treat a symptom of bad walkabil...
Nov 01, 2023•59 min
Come for the best natural segue Patrick has ever managed... stick around for a discussion about the Texas Legislature's current struggles with property tax reform and how it may impact cities.
Jul 07, 2023•49 min
A bill in the Texas Legislature could have a chilling effect on the home-rule status of Texas cities; SB2's property tax reforms could have significant implications for certain economic development mechanisms; and our thoughts on the 15-minute city and the brewing controversy around the topic. Links How the Texas GOP became the party of big government (Texas Monthly) HB 2127 The 15-Minute City: Where urban planning meets conspiracy theories (NY Times) The Last Utopia: The 15-Minute City (Alain B...
Mar 10, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Patrick and Chad discuss a proposed Costco/apartment complex in South LA, how multi-family can be better integrated into suburban areas, and give an update on the 2023 Texas Legislative Session. Costco wants to build a different kind of store in South L.A. (LA Times) HB 1465 - Grandfathering old sales tax sourcing rules HB 1513 - SB 546 - Homestead exemption changes SB 547 - Homestead exemption changes, "Prop 13 bill" Local sales and use tax on residential use of gas and electricity (Texas Compt...
Mar 03, 2023•52 min
Not a Stranger, Not a Friend (Strong Towns) Internet of S*** (Twitter account) ChatGPT
Dec 19, 2022•56 min
First Errands (99% Invisible) This Way and That Way
Nov 11, 2022•1 hr 8 min
