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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 126–150 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)
▼ -0.7 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -6.5 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+4.1% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+25.6% (CAGR +4.2%/yr)
#929
State Rank
Town of Groom
CITY • Carson County • Pop: 530
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.0700Fiscal: 35.8Regulatory: 46.9Debt: 100▲ +1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.4% YoY (+29.1% 5Y)
Grade D(55.7/100)
#928
State Rank
City of Borger
CITY • Hutchinson County • Pop: 11,892
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6600Fiscal: 60.4Regulatory: 46.5Debt: 61.2▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+7.8% 5Y)
Grade D(55.7/100)
#933
State Rank
City of Palestine
CITY • Anderson County • Pop: 19,583
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.644285Fiscal: 61.3Regulatory: 39.2Debt: 69.3▼ -1.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.3% YoY (+29.6% 5Y)
Grade D(55.6/100)
#930
State Rank
City of Terrell Hills
CITY • Bexar County • Pop: 5,142
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.378167Fiscal: 77.3Regulatory: 21.2Debt: 69▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.2% YoY (+17.7% 5Y)
Grade D(55.6/100)
#935
State Rank
City of Wills Point
CITY • Van Zandt County • Pop: 3,933
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.9390Fiscal: 43.7Regulatory: 57.1Debt: 72.6▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.3% YoY (+26.2% 5Y)
Grade D(55.6/100)
#934
State Rank
Town of Panhandle
CITY • Carson County • Pop: 2,315
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7200Fiscal: 56.8Regulatory: 33.5Debt: 84.6▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.3% YoY (+31.1% 5Y)
Grade D(55.6/100)
#931
State Rank
City of Seabrook
CITY • Harris County • Pop: 13,976
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.471925Fiscal: 71.7Regulatory: 30.3Debt: 65.2▼ -1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+17.7% 5Y)
Grade D(55.6/100)
#932
State Rank
City of Burleson
CITY • Johnson County • Pop: 56,253
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6325Fiscal: 62.1Regulatory: 46Debt: 58.6▼ -1.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+27.4% 5Y)
Grade D(55.6/100)
#936
State Rank
City of Newark
CITY • Wise County • Pop: 1,288
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.574801Fiscal: 65.5Regulatory: 23.4Debt: 84.6▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.5% YoY (+64.9% 5Y)
Grade D(55.5/100)
#939
State Rank
Town of Whiteface
CITY • Cochran County • Pop: 378
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.4500Fiscal: 13Regulatory: 86Debt: 80.8▲ +2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.0% YoY (+21.0% 5Y)
Grade D(55.5/100)
#937
State Rank
City of Lampasas
CITY • Lampasas County • Pop: 7,694
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.585947Fiscal: 64.8Regulatory: 34.4Debt: 70▼ -1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+78.2% 5Y)
Grade D(55.5/100)
#938
State Rank
City of Stinnett
CITY • Hutchinson County • Pop: 1,594
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.815583Fiscal: 51.1Regulatory: 28.7Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.3% YoY (+26.7% 5Y)
Grade D(55.5/100)
#941
State Rank
City of Balch Springs
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 27,307
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.629037Fiscal: 62.3Regulatory: 38.9Debt: 67.1▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.3% YoY (+25.7% 5Y)
Grade D(55.3/100)
#940
State Rank
City of Melissa
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 26,194
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.454116Fiscal: 72.8Regulatory: 35.8Debt: 54.5▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+18.0% 5Y)
Grade D(55.3/100)
#942
State Rank
City of Lone Oak
CITY • Hunt County • Pop: 804
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.370619Fiscal: 77.8Regulatory: 33.6Debt: 49.1▼ -2.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+34.9% 5Y)
Grade D(55.2/100)
#943
State Rank
City of Allen
CITY • Collin County • Pop: 113,746
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4147Fiscal: 75.1Regulatory: 20Debt: 72.8▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+22.2% 5Y)
Grade D(55.2/100)
#944
State Rank
City of Forney
CITY • Kaufman County • Pop: 38,572
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.441281Fiscal: 73.5Regulatory: 20Debt: 75.1▼ -0.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+21.4% 5Y)
Grade D(55.2/100)
#947
State Rank
City of Muleshoe
CITY • Bailey County • Pop: 5,218
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.673093Fiscal: 59.6Regulatory: 33.4Debt: 78.4▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.2% YoY (+22.5% 5Y)
Grade D(55.1/100)
#946
State Rank
City of Port Arthur
CITY • Jefferson County • Pop: 55,799
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.613482Fiscal: 63.2Regulatory: 38.3Debt: 65.5▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.1% YoY (+25.5% 5Y)
Grade D(55.1/100)
#945
State Rank
City of Aledo
CITY • Parker County • Pop: 6,655
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3525Fiscal: 78.9Regulatory: 39.5Debt: 38.7▼ -3.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+20.3% 5Y)
Grade D(55.1/100)
#948
State Rank
City of McAllen
CITY • Hidalgo County • Pop: 148,782
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4199Fiscal: 74.8Regulatory: 20Debt: 72.3▼ -0.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.9% YoY (-21.5% 5Y)
Grade D(55/100)
#949
State Rank
City of Tye
CITY • Taylor County • Pop: 1,241
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4941Fiscal: 70.4Regulatory: 30.7Debt: 64.2▼ -1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.8% YoY (+18.5% 5Y)
Grade D(55/100)
#952
State Rank
City of Carrizo Springs
CITY • Dimmit County • Pop: 4,586
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8631Fiscal: 48.2Regulatory: 53.9Debt: 67.1▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.8% YoY (+23.0% 5Y)
Grade D(54.9/100)
#951
State Rank
City of Marlin
CITY • Falls County • Pop: 5,572
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.83116Fiscal: 50.1Regulatory: 52.4Debt: 65.9▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+26.8% 5Y)
Grade D(54.9/100)
#950
State Rank
City of Grandview
CITY • Johnson County • Pop: 1,946
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.62953Fiscal: 62.2Regulatory: 36.2Debt: 69.2▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.4% YoY (+25.5% 5Y)
Grade D(54.9/100)