This report discusses fiscal 2015, the most recent year for which data is available, in which local debt outstanding, or the amount of unpaid principal on debt owed by Texas’ political subdivisions, grew to an estimated $212.4 billion, “an increase of $20.09 billion (10.4 percent) over the past several years” (Texas Bond Review Board, 2). To help rein in the growth of local government debt, state legislators should require political subdivisions to provide voters with more information at the ballot box for each new debt proposition.
Taxes & Spending
Texas City Eliminates Their Property Taxes
On September 10, the City of Von Ormy cut its already low property tax rate from $.12 to zero. Von Ormy has had a history of dedication to low, or no taxes, with 2024 being the first time they even adopted a tax rate since 2014. The city approved a zero-property tax rate even as...
September 22, 2026