A tech employee who left Texas for Tennessee has revealed why he needs he had moved earlier.
Jim Ward, 61, spent 20 years shifting across the Lone Star State, occupying 4 completely different homes in Houston and Dallas.
Chatting with Enterprise Insider, Ward stated he and his spouse Donita ‘lastly escaped to Tennessee’ in 2022.
‘Through the years, I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with Texas,’ Ward defined.
The 61-year-old, who works in cybersecurity, conceded that Dallas-Fort Price was a networking haven for tech staff.
Jim Ward, 61, and his spouse Donita ‘escaped’ to Tennessee after 20 years spent in Texas
Ward claimed his high quality of life had drastically improved since shifting to Knoxville
‘Nearly each main company within the US has a presence within the Dallas-Fort Price space – all of them with their very own inner expertise wants,’ he stated.
Nonetheless, Texas has seen an exodus of tech employees over the previous few years, notably from the capital metropolis of Austin.
Google leased Block 185, a sail-shaped skyscraper on the financial institution of the Colorado River, in 2019.
The corporate was supposed to maneuver in someday this 12 months, however the timeline hangs within the steadiness amid sweeping layoffs.
Auto producer Tesla opened its ‘Giga Texas’ manufacturing unit east of Austin in April 2022, however now plans to put off 2,688 employees starting in June.
Corporations together with Apple and Tesla had been provided packages price tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in property and payroll tax reimbursements as an incentive from the town. Nonetheless, that might not be sufficient to get them to remain.
After relocating its company headquarters from the Bay Space to Austin, enterprise software program and providers firm Oracle has plans to maneuver out.
The cybersecurity employee stated he grew sick of utmost warmth and unpredictable climate
He acknowledged that the Lone Star State’s greatest draw is its lack of state revenue tax, although that is greater than offset by a number of the highest property taxes within the nation
Ward additionally acknowledged that the Lone Star State’s greatest draw is its lack of state revenue tax, ‘although that’s greater than offset by property taxes.’
Texas has a number of the highest property tax payments within the nation, as they’re crucial to fund public providers like police, firefighters and public faculties.
The Tax Basis, a Washington, D.C.-based thinktank, ranked the state’s property tax because the sixth highest in the US final 12 months.
Apart from prices, one in every of Ward’s greatest complaints facilities on climate and local weather.
‘It will get fairly scorching in the course of the summer time, and all year long there are additionally extreme ice and hailstorms,’ he stated.
‘Generally it may end up in durations of prolonged energy outages throughout each summer time and winter months.’
Climate in Texas is just anticipated to develop extra excessive, in accordance with a report from Texas A&M College.
The report, launched in April, drew on information from 1900 to 2023 to foretell traits by means of 2036. It discovered a ‘vital uptick’ within the chance of droughts, wildfire circumstances, city flooding dangers and excessive temperatures.
Ward praised Knoxville for its bustling downtown space, which pulls a stark comparability to Dallas-Fort Price’s ‘lack of pure magnificence’ and ‘pleasurable outside actions’
Ward additionally famous ‘an absence of pure magnificence’ and ‘pleasurable outside actions.’ He and his spouse are avid hikers, as evidenced by photographs shared to social media.
‘So far as geography goes, within the Dallas space, the terrain is predominantly flat with few timber,’ Ward defined.
‘Consequently, outside actions are restricted, and there are few alternatives for mountain climbing and tenting.’
Solely compounding the oppressive warmth is an absence of foliage and minimal shade.
‘Even actions like working are affected by the relentless warmth. I all the time needed to go early within the morning or later within the night,’ Ward stated.
The 61-year-old concluded that his high quality of life has drastically improved since shifting to Tennessee.
‘I by no means actually loved downtown Houston or Dallas. However in Knoxville, we go downtown virtually each weekend – there’s loads you are able to do with out leaving the town,’ he stated.
‘Whereas there are some issues about Texas I miss, just like the abundance of air journey choices and its restaurant scene, I do want we had moved to Tennessee somewhat earlier.’
