Many Texans are shocked to learn that our state currently has the second highest, per capita local debt in the nation. As a result, Texans are facing a local debt epidemic primarily driven by city and school debt, which are separately governed entities each with their own publicly elected boards.
As we approach the November election, many local governments are currently considering placing debt propositions before voters to approve or reject.
But in order for a proposition to appear on a local ballot, the governing board (ie city council) must first pass a resolution to place it there. Texans should be asking their local officials to justify both the need for new debt, and the merit of the proposals they plan to finance.
Stated differently, for those local officials who have not yet voted, local residents still have time to influence that decision prior to the measure appearing before voters at large.
TFR is currently tracking that process around the state, and will be posting updates for the benefit of Texans.
We’ve previously cited how engaged residents like Lawrence Jones III of Garland, who made headlines for exposing both Obamacare Navigator fraud and illegal tactics by Battleground Texas, helped lead concerned teachers and parents to influence his local school board not to place such a debt proposal on May’s ballot.
Unfortunately, many voters do not generally weigh at local meetings, or at the ballot box. As a result local debt propositions (bonds) are often passed with single-digit voter turnout.
Local governments are not required by law to disclose important fiscal implications that taxpayers will face as a result of issuing the new debt.
Despite the Texas State Comptroller advocating for increased disclosure and transparency requirements, many Republicans joined Democrats in defeating HB 14, which would have made numerous reforms to this process.
Below is a list of entities currently considering new debt proposals to place on November’s ballot. To find out if any are relevant to you, we’ve organized the list alphabetically by county. Simply scroll through the below list to see if there is an entity in your county currently debating a proposal.
Local officials have until August 18 to pass debt resolutions that will place debt propositions before voters in your community.
The vast majority of these entities have not yet passed resolutions to place them on your ballot…not yet. Engaged Texans can more effectively influence their local officials by taking proactive steps now as opposed to waiting until November.
Note: Items with an “**” indicate the entity has called the bond election and the bond package will be placed on the November 4, 2014 ballot.
Archer County
Archer City ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Bastrop County
Elgin ISD
Other Counties: Lee/Travis
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Bell County
Village of Salado
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Temple ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Bexar County
Harlandale ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $17,313,000
City of Selma
Other Counties: Comal/Guadalupe
Bond Proposition Amount: $5,500,000
Brazos County
Bryan ISD
Other Counties: Robertson
Bond Proposition Amount: $132,000,000
Burnet County
Burnet CISD
Other Counties: Llano/Williamson
Bond Proposition Amount: $26,000,000
Chambers County
City of Baytown
Other Counties: Harris
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Collin County
City of Murphy
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Wylie ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Comal County
Comal County
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Comal ISD
Other Counties: Bexar/Guadalupe
Bond Proposition Amount: $3,700,000
Dallas County
City of Cedar Hill
Other Counties: Ellis
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
City of DeSoto
Bond Proposition Amount: $26,000,000
Garland ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $473,000,000
Highland Park ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Denton County
City of Denton
Bond Proposition Amount: $100,000,000
Sanger ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Duval County
City of San Diego
Other Counties: Jim Wells
Bond Proposition Amount: $15,000,000
Ector County
Ector County
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Ellis County
Italy ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
El Paso County
Ysleta ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $155,000,000
Fort Bend County
Fort Bend ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $333,400,000
Lamar CISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $243,000,000
City of Rosenberg
Bond Proposition Amount: $12,500,000
Grimes County
Grimes County
Bond Proposition Amount: $6,600,000
Harris County
Katy ISD
Other Counties: Fort Bend/Waller
Bond Proposition Amount: $748,000,000
City of Spring Valley Village
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Harris/Montgomery County
Lone Star College System
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Harrison County
Marshall ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Hays County
City of Buda
Bond Proposition Amount: $55,000,000
Hays County
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
City of San Marcos
Other Counties: Caldwell/Guadalupe
Bond Proposition Amount: $98,000,000
Hidalgo County
Hidalgo County
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Hunt County
City of Commerce
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Jefferson County
Beaumont ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Kaufman County
Kaufman ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Kleberg County
Kleberg County
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Limestone County
Mexia ISD
Other Counties: Freestone
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Lubbock County
City of Lubbock
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Mason County
Mason ISD
Other Counties: Kimble/McCulloch/Menard/San Saba
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
McLennan County
City of Waco
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Midland County
Midland ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $158,000,000
Milam County
Milam County
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Milano ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Navarro County
Corsicana ISD
Other Counties: Freestone
Bond Proposition Amount: $49,673,624
Nueces County
City of Corpus Christi
Bond Proposition Amount: $84,400,000
Del Mar Community College
Bond Proposition Amount: $157,000,000
Nueces County
Corpus Christi ISD
Other Counties: San Patricio
Bond Proposition Amount: $100,500,000
Orange County
Bridge City ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $20,000,000
Randall County
City of Canyon
Bond Proposition Amount: $5,200,000
Rusk County
**Leveretts Chapel ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $400,000
San Jacinto County
Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $17,000,000
San Saba County
Richland Springs ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Tarrant County
City of Arlington
Bond Proposition Amount: $238,500,000
Birdville ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $163,200,000
City of Colleyville
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Keller ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $140,000,000
City of Mansfield
Other Counties: Ellis/Johnson
Bond Proposition Amount: $65,000,000
Travis County
City of Austin
Other Counties: Hays/Williamson
Bond Proposition Amount: $1,000,000,000
Travis County
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Water District 10
Bond Proposition Amount: $52,500,000
Travis/Williamson County
**Austin Community College
Bond Proposition Amount: $386,000,000
- Proposition 1: $224,800,000
- Proposition 2: $161,200,000
City of Pflugerville
Bond Proposition Amount: $30,000,000
Uvalde County
City of Uvalde
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Webb County
Webb CISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Wharton County
El Campo ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: TBD
Wilson County
Poth ISD
Bond Proposition Amount: $15,000,000
