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Bastiat & Liberty Watchdog Index
Texas Local Government Freedom Index
Objective, empirical rankings grading 6,167 Texas local governments and 31,351 elected officials on fiscal restraint, tax burden, private property rights, and regulatory overreach. Zero peer normalization.
Top Ranked Governments (Highest Liberty)
Showing 226–250 of 286 matching jurisdictions
28-Year Freedom & Budget Trend Benchmark (FY 2000 – FY 2027)
Cohort Average Across Visible Page (25 Ranked Entities)5-Yr Freedom Trend (FY 22→27)
▼ -1.3 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -7.3 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+4.2% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+23.9% (CAGR +4.1%/yr)
#1031
State Rank
City of Whitehouse
CITY • Smith County • Pop: 9,970
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.792891Fiscal: 52.4Regulatory: 26.4Debt: 88▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.1% YoY (+29.0% 5Y)
Grade D(52.2/100)
#1032
State Rank
City of Port Lavaca
CITY • Calhoun County • Pop: 11,299
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7944Fiscal: 52.3Regulatory: 37.9Debt: 72.1▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.9% YoY (+25.3% 5Y)
Grade D(52.2/100)
#1025
State Rank
City of Cedar Park
CITY • Williamson County • Pop: 78,380
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3650Fiscal: 78.1Regulatory: 25.2Debt: 48.6▼ -2.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+21.2% 5Y)
Grade D(52.2/100)
#1029
State Rank
City of Crockett
CITY • Houston County • Pop: 6,387
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6750Fiscal: 59.5Regulatory: 40.4Debt: 57.1▼ -1.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.7% YoY (+27.9% 5Y)
Grade D(52.2/100)
#1028
State Rank
City of Burnet
CITY • Burnet County • Pop: 6,869
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5991Fiscal: 64.1Regulatory: 34.4Debt: 58.2▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+21.6% 5Y)
Grade D(52.2/100)
#1033
State Rank
City of Spearman
CITY • Hansford County • Pop: 2,994
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.469711Fiscal: 71.8Regulatory: 22.6Debt: 61.7▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+15.8% 5Y)
Grade D(52.1/100)
#1035
State Rank
City of Eagle Lake
CITY • Colorado County • Pop: 3,545
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.58624Fiscal: 64.8Regulatory: 24.5Debt: 69.9▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.8% YoY (+29.0% 5Y)
Grade D(52/100)
#1036
State Rank
City of Prairie View
CITY • Waller County • Pop: 8,479
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.73049Fiscal: 56.2Regulatory: 36.5Debt: 66.9▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+24.3% 5Y)
Grade D(52/100)
#1038
State Rank
Town of Lefors
CITY • Gray County • Pop: 417
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.0900Fiscal: 34.6Regulatory: 51.5Debt: 80.6▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+30.9% 5Y)
Grade D(52/100)
#1034
State Rank
City of Lockhart
CITY • Caldwell County • Pop: 17,166
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5389Fiscal: 67.7Regulatory: 29.2Debt: 58.6▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+32.1% 5Y)
Grade D(52/100)
#1037
State Rank
City of Commerce
CITY • Hunt County • Pop: 9,800
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8200Fiscal: 50.8Regulatory: 49.2Debt: 57.7▼ -1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+30.3% 5Y)
Grade D(52/100)
#1043
State Rank
City of Jacksboro
CITY • Jack County • Pop: 4,656
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7100Fiscal: 57.4Regulatory: 25.4Debt: 80.1▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+31.3% 5Y)
Grade D(51.9/100)
#1042
State Rank
City of Chandler
CITY • Henderson County • Pop: 3,816
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.611884Fiscal: 63.3Regulatory: 32.6Debt: 60.7▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+14.6% 5Y)
Grade D(51.9/100)
#1039
State Rank
City of Lowry Crossing
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 2,028
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.160953Fiscal: 90.3Regulatory: 25.7Debt: 27▼ -3.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.9% YoY (+28.5% 5Y)
Grade D(51.9/100)
#1040
State Rank
City of Euless
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 60,169
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4685Fiscal: 71.9Regulatory: 20Debt: 64.7▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+23.4% 5Y)
Grade D(51.9/100)
#1041
State Rank
City of Westworth Village
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 2,717
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4750Fiscal: 71.5Regulatory: 23.8Debt: 59.7▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+15.6% 5Y)
Grade D(51.9/100)
#1044
State Rank
Town of Palmer
CITY • Ellis County • Pop: 2,621
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.666947Fiscal: 60Regulatory: 20Debt: 83.3▼ -0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.6% YoY (+29.9% 5Y)
Grade D(51.8/100)
#1048
State Rank
City of Archer City
CITY • Archer County • Pop: 1,642
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6623Fiscal: 60.3Regulatory: 34.8Debt: 61.7▼ -1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+20.3% 5Y)
Grade D(51.7/100)
#1045
State Rank
City of El Campo
CITY • Wharton County • Pop: 12,062
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4895Fiscal: 70.6Regulatory: 27.8Debt: 55.1▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+14.9% 5Y)
Grade D(51.7/100)
#1047
State Rank
City of Bangs
CITY • Brown County • Pop: 1,535
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5788Fiscal: 65.3Regulatory: 27.3Debt: 64▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.1% YoY (+20.7% 5Y)
Grade D(51.7/100)
#1046
State Rank
City of McGregor
CITY • Mclennan County • Pop: 6,161
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5285Fiscal: 68.3Regulatory: 38.8Debt: 43▼ -2.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.7% YoY (+31.0% 5Y)
Grade D(51.7/100)
#1053
State Rank
City of Abilene
CITY • Taylor County • Pop: 131,588
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7289Fiscal: 56.3Regulatory: 20Debt: 88▲ 0.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.1% YoY (+45.3% 5Y)
Grade D(51.5/100)
#1054
State Rank
City of Olney
CITY • Young County • Pop: 3,019
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.765223Fiscal: 54.1Regulatory: 47.4Debt: 53.2▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.3% YoY (+27.5% 5Y)
Grade D(51.5/100)
#1050
State Rank
City of Hempstead
CITY • Waller County • Pop: 6,658
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.512615Fiscal: 69.2Regulatory: 24.3Debt: 61.4▼ -1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (-9.8% 5Y)
Grade D(51.5/100)
#1049
State Rank
City of Cottonwood Shores
CITY • Burnet County • Pop: 1,668
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4998Fiscal: 70Regulatory: 28.2Debt: 54.6▼ -1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+16.0% 5Y)
Grade D(51.5/100)