Cities, counties, school districts, and special districts pestered voters to approve massive amounts of new debt this election cycle—and in many cases, the spenders found success.
According to newly released data from the Bond Review Board (BRB), voters statewide were asked to decide on 195 separate bond propositions seeking to fund everything from athletic facilities to animal shelters to aquatic centers and more. Had every bond proposal passed, then taxpayers would have been saddled with approximately $33 billion in new principal debt.
But, of course, not every proposition passed. A relative few were rejected by voters.
Still, voters approved 159 propositions in all, indicating an 82% passage rate. That passage rate is slightly higher than the one observed during the May 2024 election cycle (79.9%). Once fully rolled out, this cycle’s 159 approved measures are expected to add $25.5 billion in new principal debt.
The 36 defeated propositions were valued at $7.4 billion. As a general rule, there is nothing to prevent taxing units from coming back in the next election cycle to seek voter-approval for the same or a similar proposal. Willis ISD is one prominent example of that deficiency.
The top 10 largest single-item bond propositions may be found below. Did your local government make the list?
Figure 1. Top 10 Largest Bond Propisitions in Nov. 2024
| Borrowing Entity | County | Prop. # | Results | Amount Sought | Purpose/Description |
| Houston ISD | Harris | A | Defeated | $3,960,000,000 | Building & Improvements |
| Frisco ISD | Collin | B | Defeated | $ 986,000,000 | School Building & Buses |
| Atlas Ranch MUD 1 | Williamson | F | Carried | $ 828,000,000 | Water, Sewer, Drainage, & Refunding |
| Round Rock ISD | Williamson | A | Carried | $ 798,305,000 | Building |
| Rockwall ISD | Rockwall | B | Defeated | $ 787,062,000 | School Building |
| Austin County MMD 1 | Austin | D | Carried | $ 772,726,500 | Recreation & Refunding |
| Waller ISD | Waller | A | Carried | $ 702,500,000 | School Building & Buses |
| Gunter Crossing of Grayson County | Grayson | D | Carried | $ 616,500,000 | Water, Sewer, Drainage, & Refunding |
| Atlas Ranch MUD 1 | Williamson | C | Carried | $ 552,000,000 | Water, Sewer, & Drainage |
| Flying W MUD of Comal County | Comal | A | Carried | $ 500,187,735 | Water, Sewer, Drainage, & Refunding |
Source: BRB’s Bond Election Database