Texas oil and gas revenue helps pay for public schools, and Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham (R) says that support matters to homeowners footing the property tax bill.
In a Let’s Talk Local segment with host Sarah Zubiate-Bennett, Buckingham explains how the General Land Office connects the state’s natural resources to everyday needs, from classrooms to border security.
The agency manages 13 million acres of state lands and leases oil, mineral and surface rights to generate revenue, including money for the Permanent School Fund, according to the GLO.
Buckingham linked that school support to the burden on property owners.
“The more the state can deliver, the less the homeowners have to deliver through their property taxes,” she said.
Beyond school funding
Buckingham also discusses why she brought the land office into border security efforts and how she wants to turn water from oil and gas production into a usable resource.
Her water discussion centers on treating produced water for agricultural and industrial uses. She also describes efforts to help the next generation of farmers and ranchers gain experience and access to state land leases.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, her Texas Engine initiative focuses on energy, natural resources, manufacturing, agriculture and conservation.
“We want to stand on our own two feet,” Buckingham said, describing her goal of reducing dependence on foreign countries for essential resources.
The conversation also touches on veterans programs, disaster recovery and her decision to leave a Texas Senate seat for the land office.
Watch here for Buckingham’s explanation of how the office puts Texas land to work and why she sees water and power as major challenges ahead.
