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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 101–125 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)
▼ -6.5 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+4.2% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+24.9% (CAGR +4.1%/yr)
#905
State Rank
City of Winters
CITY • Runnels County • Pop: 2,281
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6500Fiscal: 61Regulatory: 48.2Debt: 60.7▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+14.1% 5Y)
Grade D(56.4/100)
#903
State Rank
City of Kyle
CITY • Hays County • Pop: 65,833
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5600Fiscal: 66.4Regulatory: 49.3Debt: 50.4▼ -2.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.2% YoY (+27.4% 5Y)
Grade D(56.4/100)
#904
State Rank
City of Castle Hills
CITY • Bexar County • Pop: 3,931
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.629125Fiscal: 62.3Regulatory: 43.8Debt: 64.4▼ -1.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+28.7% 5Y)
Grade D(56.4/100)
#907
State Rank
City of Richland Hills
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 8,407
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.569027Fiscal: 65.9Regulatory: 40.9Debt: 62.4▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.3% YoY (+12.3% 5Y)
Grade D(56.3/100)
#908
State Rank
City of Hearne
CITY • Robertson County • Pop: 4,641
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7255Fiscal: 56.5Regulatory: 45.4Debt: 71.2▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.9% YoY (+16.8% 5Y)
Grade D(56.3/100)
#906
State Rank
Town of Pottsboro
CITY • Grayson County • Pop: 2,780
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.544401Fiscal: 67.3Regulatory: 24.1Debt: 83.8▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.9% YoY (+19.7% 5Y)
Grade D(56.3/100)
#911
State Rank
City of Henderson
CITY • Rusk County • Pop: 13,502
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6900Fiscal: 58.6Regulatory: 39.7Debt: 75.3▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+14.3% 5Y)
Grade D(56.2/100)
#909
State Rank
City of Harlingen
CITY • Cameron County • Pop: 72,234
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5198Fiscal: 68.8Regulatory: 21.8Debt: 84.2▲ +0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+20.1% 5Y)
Grade D(56.2/100)
#910
State Rank
City of Friona
CITY • Parmer County • Pop: 4,171
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.595931Fiscal: 64.2Regulatory: 25.1Debt: 87.1▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.8% YoY (+39.2% 5Y)
Grade D(56.2/100)
#913
State Rank
City of Donna
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 16,876
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6626Fiscal: 60.2Regulatory: 54.5Debt: 51.8▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.8% YoY (+29.5% 5Y)
Grade D(56.1/100)
#912
State Rank
City of Lucas
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 8,840
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.24988Fiscal: 85Regulatory: 20Debt: 60.5▼ -2.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+30.3% 5Y)
Grade D(56.1/100)
#914
State Rank
City of Olton
CITY • Lamb County • Pop: 1,913
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7869Fiscal: 52.8Regulatory: 31.5Debt: 96▲ +0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+25.2% 5Y)
Grade D(56.1/100)
#915
State Rank
City of Knox City
CITY • Knox County • Pop: 1,046
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.85532Fiscal: 48.7Regulatory: 38.2Debt: 93▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.1% YoY (+32.4% 5Y)
Grade D(56.1/100)
#916
State Rank
City of Mexia
CITY • Limestone County • Pop: 6,916
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5815Fiscal: 65.1Regulatory: 34.6Debt: 71.3▲ 0.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.3% YoY (+15.4% 5Y)
Grade D(56/100)
#918
State Rank
City of Queen City
CITY • Cass County • Pop: 1,391
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.633999Fiscal: 62Regulatory: 30.8Debt: 81.3▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+25.2% 5Y)
Grade D(55.9/100)
#917
State Rank
City of McLendon-Chisholm
CITY • Kaufman County • Pop: 4,954
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.121555Fiscal: 92.7Regulatory: 24.1Debt: 41.7▼ -3.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+18.2% 5Y)
Grade D(55.9/100)
#923
State Rank
City of Dumas
CITY • Moore County • Pop: 14,291
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.616574Fiscal: 63Regulatory: 40.9Debt: 65.1▼ -1.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.9% YoY (+49.0% 5Y)
Grade D(55.8/100)
#925
State Rank
City of Kirby
CITY • Bexar County • Pop: 8,104
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.748854Fiscal: 55.1Regulatory: 45.2Debt: 71.8▼ -0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.6% YoY (+28.2% 5Y)
Grade D(55.8/100)
#927
State Rank
City of Orange
CITY • Orange County • Pop: 19,081
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8660Fiscal: 48Regulatory: 47Debt: 80.4▲ +0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.3% YoY (+17.0% 5Y)
Grade D(55.8/100)
#919
State Rank
City of Stephenville
CITY • Erath County • Pop: 22,147
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3952Fiscal: 76.3Regulatory: 22.2Debt: 69.9▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+21.3% 5Y)
Grade D(55.8/100)
#920
State Rank
City of Troup
CITY • Smith County • Pop: 2,141
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.538904Fiscal: 67.7Regulatory: 29.8Debt: 73.1▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+20.5% 5Y)
Grade D(55.8/100)
#921
State Rank
City of Clarendon
CITY • Donley County • Pop: 1,843
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.560241Fiscal: 66.4Regulatory: 35Debt: 68▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.9% YoY (+21.0% 5Y)
Grade D(55.8/100)
#922
State Rank
City of Alice
CITY • Jim Wells County • Pop: 17,595
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6085Fiscal: 63.5Regulatory: 38.5Debt: 67.5▼ -1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.7% YoY (+28.0% 5Y)
Grade D(55.8/100)
#926
State Rank
City of Kingsville
CITY • Kleberg County • Pop: 25,069
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.77777Fiscal: 53.3Regulatory: 40.2Debt: 81.7▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.4% YoY (+29.2% 5Y)
Grade D(55.8/100)
#924
State Rank
City of Van
CITY • Van Zandt County • Pop: 2,664
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7315Fiscal: 56.1Regulatory: 47.1Debt: 67.3▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.6% YoY (+39.9% 5Y)
Grade D(55.8/100)