Arena

Atlanta has lost NHL franchises twice, the Flames to Calgary in 1980 and the Thrashers to Winnipeg in 2011, and speculation persists about the city landing another team. Any expansion bid would require a strong ownership group, arena infrastructure, corporate backing and a stable business climate, factors that go well beyond fan interest. Commentary has linked the city's prospects to Georgia's political leadership, naming Democratic figures Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms, whose economic approach is seen by some as relevant to investor confidence, even though neither controls NHL expansion decisions directly, which rest with league owners and ownership groups.

Bottoms is a candidate in Georgia's upcoming governor's race, and the article frames her potential win as a setback for Atlanta's hockey ambitions.

Texas's largest cities are grappling with widening budget shortfalls driven by inflation, slowing sales tax growth, and stagnant or falling property values. Dallas faces a $51 million gap, Fort Worth $94 million, San Antonio $158 million over two years, and Austin a structural deficit that could exceed $100 million within a decade. Responses vary: Dallas plans layoffs, reduced library hours, and higher non-resident fees at attractions like the zoo; Fort Worth is cutting vacant positions and pay raises while raising its tax rate; Austin raised its rate to the legal maximum without voter approval; and San Antonio is considering its first property tax hike in over 30 years alongside roughly $90 million in cuts.

The squeeze stems partly from a state-imposed 3.5% cap on annual property tax revenue growth without voter approval, with Governor Greg Abbott and legislators pushing further restrictions next session. San Antonio's mayor also wants voters to weigh in on $489 million in public funding for a new downtown Spurs arena, with a council vote on placing the measure on the November ballot pending. Experts point to tax exemptions and restrictive housing policies as compounding factors, urging denser "missing middle" development to broaden tax bases and ease pressure on strained budgets.