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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 26–50 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)
▼ -0.9 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -5.6 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+3.7% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+21.6% (CAGR +3.8%/yr)
#829
State Rank
City of Sonora
CITY • Sutton County • Pop: 2,391
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7500Fiscal: 55Regulatory: 58.9Debt: 64.7▼ -0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.3% YoY (+21.6% 5Y)
Grade D(58.8/100)
#828
State Rank
City of Cotulla
CITY • La Salle County • Pop: 3,661
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7500Fiscal: 55Regulatory: 66.3Debt: 54.2▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+14.5% 5Y)
Grade D(58.8/100)
#826
State Rank
City of Elmendorf
CITY • Bexar County • Pop: 2,683
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.328512Fiscal: 80.3Regulatory: 44.1Debt: 44.8▼ -2.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+20.9% 5Y)
Grade D(58.8/100)
#827
State Rank
City of Katy
CITY • Fort Bend County • Pop: 27,741
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4250Fiscal: 74.5Regulatory: 24.7Debt: 81.5▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+19.5% 5Y)
Grade D(58.8/100)
#837
State Rank
City of Rhome
CITY • Wise County • Pop: 1,926
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.781147Fiscal: 53.1Regulatory: 82.6Debt: 34.2▼ -2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+32.7% 5Y)
Grade D(58.7/100)
#836
State Rank
City of Hale Center
CITY • Hale County • Pop: 1,979
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.612004Fiscal: 63.3Regulatory: 23.8Debt: 100▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+30.9% 5Y)
Grade D(58.7/100)
#835
State Rank
City of Teague
CITY • Freestone County • Pop: 3,569
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.543805Fiscal: 67.4Regulatory: 31.3Debt: 83.3▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.3% YoY (+29.4% 5Y)
Grade D(58.7/100)
#834
State Rank
Town of Italy
CITY • Ellis County • Pop: 2,130
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.410844Fiscal: 75.3Regulatory: 28.9Debt: 74▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+8.4% 5Y)
Grade D(58.7/100)
#833
State Rank
City of Troy
CITY • Bell County • Pop: 3,427
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4092Fiscal: 75.4Regulatory: 25Debt: 79.3▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+16.7% 5Y)
Grade D(58.7/100)
#832
State Rank
City of Southlake
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 31,500
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.2950Fiscal: 82.3Regulatory: 24.4Debt: 68.9▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+18.6% 5Y)
Grade D(58.7/100)
#839
State Rank
City of Windcrest
CITY • Bexar County • Pop: 5,782
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.496353Fiscal: 70.2Regulatory: 31.4Debt: 78.2▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+7.9% 5Y)
Grade D(58.6/100)
#838
State Rank
City of Reno
CITY • Lamar County • Pop: 3,575
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.469607Fiscal: 71.8Regulatory: 22.6Debt: 88▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+10.2% 5Y)
Grade D(58.6/100)
#842
State Rank
City of Sweetwater
CITY • Nolan County • Pop: 10,196
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5112Fiscal: 69.3Regulatory: 40.2Debt: 66.4▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+10.9% 5Y)
Grade D(58.4/100)
#841
State Rank
City of Paris
CITY • Lamar County • Pop: 25,205
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.472068Fiscal: 71.7Regulatory: 22.1Debt: 88▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+21.0% 5Y)
Grade D(58.4/100)
#840
State Rank
City of Keller
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 45,252
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.29112Fiscal: 82.5Regulatory: 20.3Debt: 73▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+18.4% 5Y)
Grade D(58.4/100)
#844
State Rank
City of Cleburne
CITY • Johnson County • Pop: 38,131
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.610256Fiscal: 63.4Regulatory: 50.2Debt: 61.5▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.4% YoY (+36.5% 5Y)
Grade D(58.3/100)
#843
State Rank
Town of Whitney
CITY • Hill County • Pop: 2,124
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5411Fiscal: 67.5Regulatory: 27.4Debt: 87▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.6% YoY (+16.2% 5Y)
Grade D(58.3/100)
#846
State Rank
City of Giddings
CITY • Lee County • Pop: 5,425
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6275Fiscal: 62.4Regulatory: 32.2Debt: 88▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+26.9% 5Y)
Grade D(58.2/100)
#845
State Rank
Town of South Padre Island
CITY • Cameron County • Pop: 2,076
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.262159Fiscal: 84.3Regulatory: 47.6Debt: 31.1▼ -3.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.7% YoY (+28.8% 5Y)
Grade D(58.2/100)
#847
State Rank
City of Fredericksburg
CITY • Gillespie County • Pop: 11,766
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.244342Fiscal: 85.3Regulatory: 22Debt: 65.2▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+17.9% 5Y)
Grade D(58.1/100)
#851
State Rank
City of Linden
CITY • Cass County • Pop: 1,812
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.04091Fiscal: 37.5Regulatory: 83.5Debt: 55.4▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.5% YoY (+27.9% 5Y)
Grade D(58.1/100)
#850
State Rank
City of Lumberton
CITY • Hardin County • Pop: 14,123
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.9450Fiscal: 43.3Regulatory: 45Debt: 100▲ +1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.6% YoY (+25.8% 5Y)
Grade D(58.1/100)
#849
State Rank
City of Bruceville-Eddy
CITY • Falls County • Pop: 1,454
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.44998Fiscal: 73Regulatory: 28.6Debt: 75.6▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+22.7% 5Y)
Grade D(58.1/100)
#848
State Rank
City of Sealy
CITY • Austin County • Pop: 7,553
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3725Fiscal: 77.7Regulatory: 47Debt: 42.3▼ -3.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+26.1% 5Y)
Grade D(58.1/100)
#855
State Rank
City of Graham
CITY • Young County • Pop: 8,859
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7700Fiscal: 53.8Regulatory: 51Debt: 74.4▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+30.6% 5Y)
Grade D(58/100)