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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.

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 1–25 of 3,443 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 (25 Ranked Entities)

5-Yr Freedom Trend (FY 22→27)

▲ +1.2 pts

27-Yr Liberty Shift (FY 00→27)

▲ +3.2 pts

Annual Budget Growth (YoY)

+2.3% YoY

5-Yr Budget Expansion

+13.9% (CAGR +2.5%/yr)

Stephens Memorial Hospital District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Stephens County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.002447Fiscal: 99.9Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.4% YoY (+13.7% 5Y)

Grade A+(100/100)

Santa Rita Underground Water Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Reagan County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.002341Fiscal: 99.9Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+13.7% 5Y)

Grade A+(100/100)

Pecan Valley Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • DeWitt County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.001958Fiscal: 99.9Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.0% YoY (+13.8% 5Y)

Grade A+(100/100)

Calhoun Port Authority

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Calhoun County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.000499Fiscal: 100Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.1% YoY (+13.6% 5Y)

Grade A+(100/100)

Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Burnet County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.005538Fiscal: 99.7Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.9% YoY (+14.8% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.9/100)

Hill Country Underground Water Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Gillespie County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.0054Fiscal: 99.7Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.2% YoY (+13.4% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.9/100)

Orange County Navigation and Port District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Orange County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.005024Fiscal: 99.7Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +3.5% YoY (+15.8% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.9/100)

Cow Creek Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Kendall County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.00496Fiscal: 99.7Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.8% YoY (+13.3% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.9/100)

Rusk County Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Rusk County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.004538Fiscal: 99.7Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.8% YoY (+13.4% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.9/100)

McMullen Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Maverick County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.003648Fiscal: 99.8Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.6% YoY (+12.4% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.9/100)

Bee Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Bee County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.00324Fiscal: 99.8Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.8% YoY (+12.6% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.9/100)

Gonzales County Underground Water Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Gonzales County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.003074Fiscal: 99.8Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.4% YoY (+15.4% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.9/100)

High Plains Underground Water Conversation District #1

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Lubbock County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.002965Fiscal: 99.8Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.1% YoY (+13.8% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.9/100)

Brush Country Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Brooks County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.010714Fiscal: 99.4Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.1% YoY (+12.9% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

Irion County Water Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Irion County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.010683Fiscal: 99.4Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+13.7% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

North Blanco County Emergency District #1

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Blanco County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.00989Fiscal: 99.4Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +4.5% YoY (+16.8% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Presidio County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.00985Fiscal: 99.4Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.9% YoY (+14.0% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

Panola County Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Panola County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.009548Fiscal: 99.4Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.3% YoY (+12.8% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

Wood County Central Hospital District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Wood County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.009535Fiscal: 99.4Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.0% YoY (+14.7% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

Texana Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Jackson County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.0086Fiscal: 99.5Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.1% YoY (+12.9% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Carson County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.007935Fiscal: 99.5Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+14.5% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

Pawnee Emergency Services District #3

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Bee County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.00695Fiscal: 99.6Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.3 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.2% YoY (+12.8% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

Matagorda County Conservation and Reclamation District #1

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Marion County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.00684Fiscal: 99.6Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.2 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.6% YoY (+13.7% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

Colorado County Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Colorado County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.00678Fiscal: 99.6Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +1.9% YoY (+14.3% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District

SPECIAL DISTRICT • Victoria County • Pop: N/A

FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.006626Fiscal: 99.6Regulatory: 100Debt: 100▲ +1.1 pts (5Y)Budget: +2.7% YoY (+14.7% 5Y)

Grade A+(99.8/100)

1 2 3 4 5…138

Highest Tax & Overreach Burden in Category

Generation Park Management District (Harris County)• FY 27 Tax Rate: $1.35394• 5Y Freedom: ▼ -1.9 pts • 5Y Budget: +26.2%

Grade F (45.3/100)

Imperial Redevelopment District (Fort Bend County)• FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.995968• 5Y Freedom: ▼ -2.9 pts • 5Y Budget: +24.4%

Grade D (53.6/100)

Sienna Plantation Management District (Fort Bend County)• FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.968275• 5Y Freedom: ▼ -3.0 pts • 5Y Budget: +26.2%

Grade D (54.4/100)

Hays County Development District #1 (Hays County)• FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.9000• 5Y Freedom: ▼ -2.2 pts • 5Y Budget: +24.1%

Grade D (57.2/100)

Cedar Port Navigation & ID (Chambers County)• FY 27 Tax Rate: $0.72216• 5Y Freedom: ▼ -3.9 pts • 5Y Budget: +22.4%

Grade C (60.2/100)