25
Speaking Out
Elected in November 2014, Texas Comptroller
Glenn Hegar is a vigilant steward of Texas tax
dollars and a strong advocate for job growth
in our economy. As a staunch supporter of
government transparency, Hegar believes all
levels of government should be open and
accountable to those who pay the bills —
Texas taxpayers.
Hegar serves as Texas’ treasurer, check
writer, tax collector, procurement officer and
revenue estimator. He has a proven track
record of fighting for conservative principles
and ensuring taxpayer voices are heard in
Texas state government.
In the Texas Senate, Hegar oversaw all state
and local revenue matters, during the 83rd
legislative session, and he was instrumental
in cutting $1 billion in taxes for Texas
taxpayers and businesses. As a business
owner, Comptroller Hegar knows first hand
that individuals, not government, will make
better decisions with their hard-earned tax
dollars and in turn help boost the economy.
Hegar also served as chair of the Sunset
Advisory Commission, working to eliminate
inefficiency in government agencies. In that
role, he abolished six state agencies, saving
the state taxpayers over $160 million dollars
in the process. As a former member of the
Texas House of Representatives and the
Texas Senate, Hegar worked on a wide-range
of common sense solutions that impact
everyday citizens, such as public education,
transportation, tax cuts, property tax reforms,
water and tort reform.
Before his Senate tenure, Hegar attended
Texas A&M as an undergraduate, where he
earned a Bachelor of Arts. He then attended
St. Mary’s University, earning a Master of
Arts and his law degree. At the University of
Arkansas, he earned his Master of Laws.
Hegar is a sixth generation Texan, who grew
up farming land that has been in his family
since the mid-1800s. His upbringing taught
him the core values of character, honesty,
integrity and hard work. These are the same
values that Glenn and his wife, Dara, work
to instill in their three young children: Julia,
Jonah and Claire.
Biography
as the state’s chief revenue estimator we
can continuously monitor the economy,
tracking both our growth and our job
creation rates, so that policymakers can
make adjustments when necessary.
As you know, Governor Abbott has declared
transportation funding an emergency item.
With the understanding that the Rainy
Day Fund changes made last session are not
enough to address the state’s transportation
needs, do you foresee the legislators
dedicating additional financing sources?
I know that the Legislature is working
hard to meet our state’s transportation
needs. My office is working closely with
both the House and the Senate to provide
information and statistics as they look at
different funding streams. With 500 people
moving to Texas every day, we must meet
our infrastructure needs to maintain a
healthy and vibrant economy.
It is estimated that 25% of the final
cost of a home goes towards regulations
imposed by the government. What are your
thoughts on the influence that government
has on rising home costs and other barriers
to homeownership due to taxes increases,
higher fees, and other regulatory burdens?
Every added cost and unnecessary
regulation acts as a barrier to people
becoming homeowners and realizing
the American dream. Many of these
regulatory burdens assume a one size
fits all approach, which doesn’t account
for regional variances and area specific
concerns. We need to take a close look at
these types of government fees and assess
their true impact.
Building upon the theme of regulatory
costs, overly rigid energy mandates (which
lack market justification and significantly
increase the price of homes in some of
the most cost-sensitive markets) have
caused our members to call for solutions
to alleviate this mounting problem.
Would you agree that longer energy code
review cycles and reasonable energy
code performance paths would result in
significantly better compliance rates and
effective price-sensitive applications?
Yes, this is an important issue and there
have been legislative proposals filed to
address it. I also oversee the State Energy
Conservation Office, which reviews and
considers updates to energy codes, so we
are monitoring this issue closely and will
continue to work with the Legislature and
provide information as they need it.
As the only statewide elected official
with young children at home, how do you
successfully balance your responsibilities
as a husband and father with your
civic responsibilities?
Just like all working parents, I do my best
to make sure my kids are being raised right.
You only get one shot at it. Thankfully,
I married up and my wife and I make a
great team. My family is my priority, but I
also have a responsibility to the folks who
elected me. However, my struggle is no
different than that of the average working
parent in Texas – we all have a boss to serve,
mine just happens to be the taxpayers of
this great state.
