Fort Brown · Photo: Pi3.124 · CC BY-SA 3.0Brownsville spent less per resident in 2022 than 88% of similar cities
Brownsville’s city government spent $180.1 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $951 per resident. Water and other utilities ($191.7 million) and the airport ($5 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Brownsville is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Brownsville’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov5Environmental and Conservation Task ForceThursday · 10:00 amEnvironmental and Conservation Task Force Special Work SessionAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov6Audit and Oversight CommitteeFriday · 12:15 pmAudit and Oversight Committee Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov7Youth Advisory BoardSaturday · 9:00 amYouth Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9Brownsville Public Library System Advisory BoardMonday · 5:30 pmBrownsville Public Library System Advisory Board MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9Brownsville Public Library System Advisory BoardMonday · 5:30 pmBrownsville Public Library System Advisory Board MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9Environmental and Conservation Task ForceMonday · 6:00 pmEnvironmental and Conservation Task Force MeetingMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov4City CommissionWednesday · 4:00 pm · 1001 E Elizabeth StCity Commission Special MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov4GeneralWednesday · 8:00 amPublic Notice on the One City Summit BreakfastMeeting page ↗
- Nov3City CommissionTuesday · 5:00 pmCity Commission Regular MeetingAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3GeneralTuesday · 5:00 pm · 1001 East Elizabeth Street, 2nd Floor - City Hall | Commission ChambersPublic Hearing on Disannexation (Ord. No. 2026-1830)Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov3GeneralTuesday · 5:00 pm · 1001 East Elizabeth Street, 2nd Floor - City Hall | Commission ChambersPublic Hearing on Disannexation (Ord. No. 2026-1831)Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $951 per resident a year, or $2.61 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 27%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
$854 per resident in 2022: less than 88% of them
Brownsville’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($854 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 16 Texas cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,166, and the middle half spent $954–$1,364. Brownsville spent less than 88% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($19.9 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Texas cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Brownsville itself left out).
Day-to-day spending is up 15% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Brownsville reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $854 · 2023: $923 · 2024: $951.
full-time in March 2025, up from 1,640 in 2022.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,349 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.68% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Brownsville’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Brownsville’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Brownsville →
Who’s in charge in Brownsville
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 101 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (189,382).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Brownsville Independent School District
Brownsville’s K–12 school district, shared with Rancho Viejo. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,406 per pupil, $8,335 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.
Los Fresnos Consolidated Independent School District · $12,905 per pupil
Point Isabel Independent School District · $17,449 per pupil
San Benito Consolidated Independent School District · $13,967 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Brownsville’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Brownsville alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Cameron County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican52.4%60,991 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.6%54,258 votesOthers: 0.9% (1,060 votes).
Most votes in Cameron County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
100% of Brownsville lies in Cameron County. Every 2024 race in Cameron County is on the county’s page.
Cameron County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Brownsville.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: cob.us ↗
- 2Texas HouseBrownsville is split between 3 districts
- 3Texas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Brownsville compares with the towns next door
No neighbor is close in size, so the comparison above uses Texas cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Los Fresnos | $628 | $2,816 |
| Port Isabel | estimate | $2,833 |
| San Benito | estimate | $1,286 |
| Brownsville | $854 | $2,349 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Brownsville’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Brownsville’s government
How much does Brownsville spend per resident?
About $951 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $854 was less than 88% of 16 Texas cities of 100,000–249,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Brownsville?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,349 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.68% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cob.us.
Who runs Brownsville’s government?
See cob.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Brownsville yet.
How did Brownsville vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Brownsville alone. Cameron County, where 100% of Brownsville lies, voted Trump 52.4%, Harris 46.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Brownsville?
1,882 full-time and 52 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $10.7M (about $128.7M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Brownsville in the state legislature?
Brownsville is split among 3 State House districts, so your address decides. The Texas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 27 (Adam Hinojosa). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Brownsville?
The next posted meeting is Environmental and Conservation Task Force on Thursday, November 5, at 10:00 am, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Brownsville’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →