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.

Cities & Municipalities (1,218)Counties (254)School Districts (1,252)Special Districts (3,443)Elected Officials (31,351)

Population:All Sizes Metro (>250k)Large (50k–250k)Mid-Sized (15k–50k)Small (2.5k–15k)Rural (<2.5k)

Grade Filter:All Grades Grade A+ (90–100)Grade A (80–89.9)Grade B (70–79.9)Grade C (60–69.9)Grade D (50–59.9)Grade F (<50)

Top Ranked Governments (Highest Liberty)

Showing 1251–1252 of 1,252 matching jurisdictions

Sort Metric:Overall Score Fiscal Score Regulatory Score Debt Score FY 27 Tax Rate Population

Highest Score First•Lowest Score / Heaviest Burden

28-Year Freedom & Budget Trend Benchmark (FY 2000 – FY 2027)

Cohort Average Across Visible Page (2 Ranked Entities)

5-Yr Freedom Trend (FY 22→27)

▼ -1.4 pts

27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)

▼ -6.1 pts

Annual Budget Growth (YoY)

+3.4% YoY

5-Yr Budget Expansion

+22.6% (CAGR +4.6%/yr)

#1251

KINGSVILLE ISD

ISD • Kleberg County • Pop: 2,343

FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.4104Fiscal: 15.4Regulatory: 100Debt: 15▼ -0.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+21.7% 5Y)

Grade F(44.9/100)

#1252

WELLMAN-UNION CISD

ISD • Terry County • Pop: 245

FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.50572Fiscal: 10Regulatory: 100Debt: 15▼ -2.4 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.4% YoY (+23.5% 5Y)

Grade F(42.8/100)

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