Texas voters rejected billions of dollars in new property taxes that were on Tuesday’s ballot in the form of bond propositions and tax rate increases.
Destin Sensky with Texans for Fiscal Responsibility estimated that local voters rejected about 75 percent of the property tax-backed bonds and voter-approval tax rate elections (VATREs) put on the November 3 ballot by cities, counties, and school districts across the state.
“That’s a strong underline on demands for affordability from voters of both parties,” Sensky posted to X.
Below is a sampling of results from local bond and tax rate elections across Texas.
In the Houston area:
Channelview ISD voters rejected a 7-cent tax rate increase by a margin of 71 to 29 percent, and voted against four bonds totaling $165 million ($316 million with interest), with opposition ranging from 60 to 72 percent.
Crosby ISD lost two bonds totaling $208 million ($411 million with interest). Each was rejected by 69 percent of voters.
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD voters rejected both a 9-cent tax rate increase, with more than 67 percent against, and four bond propositions totaling $1.6 billion ($3.2 billion with interest), with 63 to 73 percent voting no.
Huffman ISD voters rejected a 3-cent tax rate increase 74 to 26 percent.
La Porte ISD lost a 12-cent VATRE, with 63 percent voting no.
Spring ISD lost a 2-cent VATRE, with 55 percent voting no.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex:
City of Dallas voters rejected a $443 million bond ($629 million with interest) for new police, fire, and emergency services facilities, with about 55 percent voting against the plan.
“This vote was not a rejection of public safety, it was a demand for a better plan,” stated a grassroots “vote no” campaign called Bust The Bond.
City of Midlothian lost five bond propositions totaling $192 million, each rejected by more than 60 percent of voters.
City of Plano voters rejected a plan to authorize taxes that would have helped finance a proposed Dallas Stars arena at the Shops at Willow Bend.
City of Wylie voters rejected five bonds totaling $90.5 million.
Collin County voters rejected all four county bond propositions on the ballot, which totaled $817 million.
Dallas County voters said no to a 2.4-cent tax rate increase aimed at funding programs to reduce homelessness.
Irving ISD lost four bonds totaling $952 million ($2.25 billion with interest), with 56 to 60 percent voting no.
Keller ISD voters rejected five bonds totaling $828 million ($1.4 billion with interest), with 53 to 65 percent voting no.
McKinney ISD voters rejected a 3-cent tax rate increase, with almost 60 percent voting against, while four bonds totaling $500 million ($630 million with interest) were rejected by 57 to 69 percent of voters.
Mesquite ISD lost a 9-cent VATRE, with 57 percent voting against.
Valley View ISD lost a VATRE, with 70 percent voting no.
In South Texas:
Comal ISD voters rejected two bonds totaling $567 million ($1.2 billion with interest) by 59-41 percent.
East Central ISD voters rejected a nearly 4-cent tax rate increase by 52-48 percent.
Northside ISD lost a 3-cent tax rate increase and three bonds totaling $886 million ($1.8 billion with interest).
San Antonio ISD lost a 3-cent tax rate increase and three bonds totaling $600 million.
South San Antonio ISD lost a 7-cent VATRE, with 56 percent voting no.
In East Texas:
Henderson ISD lost a 7-cent VATRE, with 52 percent voting no.
Jefferson ISD voters rejected a tax rate that was 3 cents higher than if the VATRE had succeeded.
In West Texas:
Socorro ISD voters rejected a VATRE, with 57 percent voting no.
Tornillo ISD voters rejected a VATRE, with 70 percent voting against.
Ysleta ISD lost a 2.5-cent VATRE, with 56 percent voting no.
In Central Texas:
City of Temple voters rejected a $15 million bond, with 71 percent voting against.
Bartlett ISD voters rejected both a 12-cent tax rate increase and two bonds totaling $4.3 million ($5.7 million with interest). Each proposition failed with about 70 percent voting no.
Bastrop ISD, Coupland ISD, and Del Valle ISD voters all rejected their school districts’ proposed tax increases.
Bryan ISD voters rejected a 2-cent tax rate increase, with 59 percent voting no.
Florence ISD lost a 3-cent VATRE and $1.45 million bond ($1.8 million with interest).
Georgetown ISD’s 6-cent VATRE failed, with 52 percent voting no.
Leander ISD and Round Rock ISD voters rejected tax rate increases by margins of 52 to 48 percent.
Pflugerville ISD voters rejected a proposal to annex the remainder of the district into the Austin Community College District and authorize a 10-cent property tax, with 63 percent voting no.
Manor ISD was an outlier, with 53 and 55 percent of voters approving two bonds totaling $400 million ($710 million with interest).
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD in South Texas also narrowly passed a 12-cent VATRE, with 51 percent voting yes.
All results are unofficial until canvassed.
A transparency law passed in 2025 resurrected a statewide database of local bond elections and added VATREs. However, taxing entities are not required to report information about their November 3 bond and tax rate elections until August 7, 2027.
