Part VII · The Watch
The Watch
What the Watch will be
We will track public records that show when a local business gets an outside owner. Each one will be a lead to check, never an accusation. We will not name people.
Records we plan to read first
- The yearly Public Information Report. Many Texas corporations and LLCs send one to the Comptroller each year. It names any company that owns 10 percent or more of them, and the law says it is open to public inspection.
- New sales tax permits. The Comptroller publishes a list of recently issued permits as open data.
We will add more records as we check them. See KL-0702.
What a signal will not be
Not proofMany outside buyers are honest and good for a town. A change in a record is a reason to ask a question, nothing more. See KL-0704.
Sources
- Texas Comptroller, Public Information Report form 05-102
https://comptroller.texas.gov/forms/05-102-a-16.pdf - Texas Comptroller, who files the Public Information Report
https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/franchise/pir-oir-filing-req.php - Texas Tax Code 171.203, Public Information Report (what it lists)
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TX/htm/TX.171.htm - Texas Tax Code 171.207, information in the report is open to public inspection
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TX/htm/TX.171.htm - Texas Comptroller, Recent Active Sales Tax Permit Holders (open data)
https://comptroller.texas.gov/transparency/open-data/recent-sales-tax-permits/