Don Huffines: Getting Rich With Our Money

State Senator Don Huffines (R-Dallas) loves to claim he works for his constituents, not the government. He brags about not taking any pay, benefits or travel reimbursements for his job as a legislator. But why would he need his meager legislator pay when taxpayers are enriching his family business with millions of dollars?

During the 2013 legislative session, the last before he joined the Senate, Huffines got fast-tracked legislation to let Collin County taxpayers approve $63 million in road bonds, so Huffines and his brother could finance their 593-acre lakefront development project.

Those road bonds were approved in an election that had just one voter.  To get the bonds approved, a special taxing district — the Collin County Water Control and Improvement District #3 — was created just for the purpose of getting the development done.

While Sen. Huffines might believe he and his brother were simply doing business, tell that to Collin County residents who saw their taxes go up.  The Huffines brothers got richer and Collin County residents footed the bill. It’s worth noting this episode wasn’t the first time the Huffines brothers used taxing districts to help finance their projects, as The Dallas Morning News extensively reported in 2001.

Don Huffines likes to say he’s very aware of the hard-working residents and taxpayers of Senate District 16. He’s certainly aware they have made him a very rich man.