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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 76–100 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)
▼ -1.2 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -6.6 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+4.0% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+22.8% (CAGR +4.0%/yr)
#877
State Rank
City of Seminole
CITY • Gaines County • Pop: 7,386
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.538027Fiscal: 67.7Regulatory: 32.6Debt: 75.2▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+14.6% 5Y)
Grade D(57.3/100)
#884
State Rank
City of Socorro
CITY • El Paso County • Pop: 38,642
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.736866Fiscal: 55.8Regulatory: 40.8Debt: 82.5▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.2% YoY (+30.2% 5Y)
Grade D(57.2/100)
#880
State Rank
City of North Richland Hills
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 70,658
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.489389Fiscal: 70.6Regulatory: 40.3Debt: 59.3▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+18.2% 5Y)
Grade D(57.2/100)
#879
State Rank
City of San Saba
CITY • San Saba County • Pop: 3,115
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3440Fiscal: 79.4Regulatory: 21Debt: 72.3▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+20.1% 5Y)
Grade D(57.2/100)
#881
State Rank
City of Abernathy
CITY • Hale County • Pop: 2,838
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.547299Fiscal: 67.2Regulatory: 30.5Debt: 78.5▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+17.4% 5Y)
Grade D(57.2/100)
#882
State Rank
City of Duncanville
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 39,203
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.611659Fiscal: 63.3Regulatory: 37.6Debt: 74.7▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.3% YoY (+27.1% 5Y)
Grade D(57.2/100)
#883
State Rank
City of Brownwood
CITY • Brown County • Pop: 18,772
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7175Fiscal: 57Regulatory: 47.8Debt: 70.8▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.4% YoY (+22.3% 5Y)
Grade D(57.2/100)
#886
State Rank
Town of Mount Vernon
CITY • Franklin County • Pop: 2,601
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.58751Fiscal: 64.7Regulatory: 40.7Debt: 67.9▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.0% YoY (+27.3% 5Y)
Grade D(57.1/100)
#885
State Rank
City of Blue Ridge
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 1,248
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.322553Fiscal: 80.6Regulatory: 35.2Debt: 50.1▼ -2.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+22.6% 5Y)
Grade D(57.1/100)
#887
State Rank
City of Groveton
CITY • Trinity County • Pop: 942
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.9100Fiscal: 45.4Regulatory: 61.9Debt: 69.1▲ 0.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+23.6% 5Y)
Grade D(57.1/100)
#891
State Rank
City of Anahuac
CITY • Chambers County • Pop: 2,023
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.587902Fiscal: 64.7Regulatory: 59.6Debt: 41.1▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.7% YoY (+1.8% 5Y)
Grade D(57/100)
#889
State Rank
City of Granite Shoals
CITY • Burnet County • Pop: 5,417
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5339Fiscal: 68Regulatory: 35.9Debt: 69▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.6% YoY (+21.8% 5Y)
Grade D(57/100)
#888
State Rank
City of Montgomery
CITY • Montgomery County • Pop: 2,860
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4000Fiscal: 76Regulatory: 31.4Debt: 62.3▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.6% YoY (+33.5% 5Y)
Grade D(57/100)
#890
State Rank
City of Richwood
CITY • Brazoria County • Pop: 4,835
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.587817Fiscal: 64.7Regulatory: 35.9Debt: 74.1▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+23.8% 5Y)
Grade D(57/100)
#892
State Rank
City of Dublin
CITY • Erath County • Pop: 3,450
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7402Fiscal: 55.6Regulatory: 46.1Debt: 74.6▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.7% YoY (+28.9% 5Y)
Grade D(57/100)
#893
State Rank
City of Ovilla
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 4,771
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.616213Fiscal: 63Regulatory: 27Debt: 88.2▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.2% YoY (+29.5% 5Y)
Grade D(56.7/100)
#897
State Rank
Town of Ponder
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 2,875
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.694379Fiscal: 58.3Regulatory: 61.9Debt: 46.5▼ -2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.9% YoY (+26.8% 5Y)
Grade D(56.6/100)
#894
State Rank
City of Universal City
CITY • Bexar County • Pop: 20,267
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5300Fiscal: 68.2Regulatory: 29.2Debt: 76.3▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.9% YoY (+17.2% 5Y)
Grade D(56.6/100)
#895
State Rank
City of Olmos Park
CITY • Bexar County • Pop: 2,155
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.555624Fiscal: 66.7Regulatory: 36.6Debt: 68.3▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+22.0% 5Y)
Grade D(56.6/100)
#896
State Rank
City of Horizon City
CITY • El Paso County • Pop: 25,118
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.595788Fiscal: 64.3Regulatory: 25.3Debt: 88▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+20.0% 5Y)
Grade D(56.6/100)
#900
State Rank
City of Bedford
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 48,728
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5145Fiscal: 69.1Regulatory: 36.8Debt: 64.1▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+20.1% 5Y)
Grade D(56.5/100)
#899
State Rank
City of Gonzales
CITY • Gonzales County • Pop: 7,238
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3285Fiscal: 80.3Regulatory: 25.5Debt: 61.9▼ -2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+24.7% 5Y)
Grade D(56.5/100)
#898
State Rank
Town of Westlake
CITY • Denton County • Pop: 2,017
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.1850Fiscal: 88.9Regulatory: 49.2Debt: 15▼ -4.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+37.7% 5Y)
Grade D(56.5/100)
#901
State Rank
City of Hewitt
CITY • McLennan County • Pop: 16,691
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.539672Fiscal: 67.6Regulatory: 45.7Debt: 53.7▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+16.0% 5Y)
Grade D(56.5/100)
#902
State Rank
City of Dallas
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 1,326,087
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6978Fiscal: 58.1Regulatory: 54.1Debt: 57.3▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.3% YoY (+22.1% 5Y)
Grade D(56.5/100)