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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 1–25 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)
▼ -0.8 pts
27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)
▼ -6.0 pts
Annual Budget Growth (YoY)
+4.2% YoY
5-Yr Budget Expansion
+22.4% (CAGR +4.0%/yr)
#804
State Rank
City of Wilson
CITY • Lynn County • Pop: 464
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.7450Fiscal: 55.3Regulatory: 39.4Debt: 96▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.9% YoY (+29.0% 5Y)
Grade D(59.9/100)
#803
State Rank
City of Webster
CITY • Harris County • Pop: 12,548
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3695Fiscal: 77.8Regulatory: 39.8Debt: 59.4▼ -2.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+25.3% 5Y)
Grade D(59.9/100)
#808
State Rank
Town of Darrouzett
CITY • Lipscomb County • Pop: 303
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.472552Fiscal: 11.6Regulatory: 86Debt: 100▲ +2.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.3% YoY (+21.9% 5Y)
Grade D(59.7/100)
#807
State Rank
City of Gregory
CITY • San Patricio County • Pop: 1,717
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.817954Fiscal: 50.9Regulatory: 53.3Debt: 82.7▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.0% YoY (+41.0% 5Y)
Grade D(59.7/100)
#806
State Rank
City of Vega
CITY • Oldham County • Pop: 891
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.65554Fiscal: 60.7Regulatory: 29.8Debt: 100▲ +0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.4% YoY (+24.6% 5Y)
Grade D(59.7/100)
#805
State Rank
City of Tulia
CITY • Swisher County • Pop: 4,408
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3548Fiscal: 78.7Regulatory: 26.1Debt: 76.2▼ -1.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+22.5% 5Y)
Grade D(59.7/100)
#809
State Rank
City of Poteet
CITY • Atascosa County • Pop: 3,005
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.9481Fiscal: 43.1Regulatory: 79Debt: 58.6▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.9% YoY (+26.5% 5Y)
Grade D(59.5/100)
#813
State Rank
Town of Ladonia
CITY • Fannin County • Pop: 629
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.632968Fiscal: 62Regulatory: 56.5Debt: 59.1▼ -1.8 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.9% YoY (+25.5% 5Y)
Grade D(59.4/100)
#812
State Rank
City of Lake Jackson
CITY • Brazoria County • Pop: 28,158
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.39438Fiscal: 76.3Regulatory: 38.4Debt: 61.9▼ -2.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+19.5% 5Y)
Grade D(59.4/100)
#811
State Rank
City of Rosenberg
CITY • Fort Bend County • Pop: 42,571
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3350Fiscal: 79.9Regulatory: 35.2Debt: 60.4▼ -1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+14.5% 5Y)
Grade D(59.4/100)
#810
State Rank
City of Riesel
CITY • McLennan County • Pop: 1,058
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.223923Fiscal: 86.6Regulatory: 37.5Debt: 46.6▼ -2.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.2% YoY (+14.0% 5Y)
Grade D(59.4/100)
#817
State Rank
City of Granger
CITY • Williamson County • Pop: 1,193
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.876036Fiscal: 47.4Regulatory: 50.1Debt: 91.2▲ +0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.4% YoY (+29.5% 5Y)
Grade D(59.3/100)
#816
State Rank
City of Hereford
CITY • Deaf Smith County • Pop: 14,860
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4064Fiscal: 75.6Regulatory: 26.6Debt: 79.1▼ -0.9 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+17.7% 5Y)
Grade D(59.3/100)
#815
State Rank
City of Emory
CITY • Rains County • Pop: 1,390
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.271056Fiscal: 83.7Regulatory: 30Debt: 61.4▼ -1.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.5% YoY (+11.0% 5Y)
Grade D(59.3/100)
#814
State Rank
City of Rollingwood
CITY • Travis County • Pop: 1,424
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.202039Fiscal: 87.9Regulatory: 47.1Debt: 30.5▼ -3.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.7% YoY (+10.0% 5Y)
Grade D(59.3/100)
#820
State Rank
City of Rogers
CITY • Bell County • Pop: 1,099
FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.0500Fiscal: 37Regulatory: 86.6Debt: 56.4▼ -0.6 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.4% YoY (+32.0% 5Y)
Grade D(59.2/100)
#819
State Rank
City of Cleveland
CITY • Liberty County • Pop: 9,113
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.6250Fiscal: 62.5Regulatory: 44Debt: 75.2▼ -0.5 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.6% YoY (+12.7% 5Y)
Grade D(59.2/100)
#818
State Rank
City of Missouri City
CITY • Fort Bend County • Pop: 78,582
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.560825Fiscal: 66.4Regulatory: 45.3Debt: 67▼ -1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.1% YoY (+20.6% 5Y)
Grade D(59.2/100)
#821
State Rank
City of Glenn Heights
CITY • Dallas County • Pop: 19,752
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.590821Fiscal: 64.6Regulatory: 34.2Debt: 85.3▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+23.8% 5Y)
Grade D(59.1/100)
#822
State Rank
City of Johnson City
CITY • Blanco County • Pop: 2,092
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.3323Fiscal: 80.1Regulatory: 30.4Debt: 65.2▼ -1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+15.7% 5Y)
Grade D(59/100)
#825
State Rank
City of Taft
CITY • San Patricio County • Pop: 2,869
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.867344Fiscal: 48Regulatory: 64Debt: 69.1▼ -0.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.4% YoY (+24.8% 5Y)
Grade D(58.9/100)
#824
State Rank
City of Hurst
CITY • Tarrant County • Pop: 40,055
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.5872Fiscal: 64.8Regulatory: 39.9Debt: 75.9▼ -0.7 pts (5Y)Budget: +5.7% YoY (+23.4% 5Y)
Grade D(58.9/100)
#823
State Rank
City of Bellaire
CITY • Harris County • Pop: 17,439
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.4174Fiscal: 75Regulatory: 44.9Debt: 52.7▼ -2.0 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.0% YoY (+16.5% 5Y)
Grade D(58.9/100)
#831
State Rank
City of Dilley
CITY • Frio County • Pop: 3,953
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.82754Fiscal: 50.3Regulatory: 61.6Debt: 68.6▼ -0.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.9% YoY (+24.1% 5Y)
Grade D(58.8/100)
#830
State Rank
City of Keene
CITY • Johnson County • Pop: 6,930
FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.8240Fiscal: 50.6Regulatory: 56.4Debt: 75.3▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +6.5% YoY (+34.2% 5Y)
Grade D(58.8/100)