Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Liberty

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Liberty County CourthouseLiberty County Courthouse · Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Liberty

Liberty spent more per resident in 2022 than 78% of similar cities

Liberty’s city government spent $12.6 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, about $1,324 per resident. Water and other utilities ($12.9 million) and the airport ($662,000) are counted separately.

Town website
Day-to-day spending, 2022
$12.6M
year to September 30, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$1,324
In 2022: $1,324, more than 78% of 175 similar cities
Long-term debt
$21.8M
end of FY2022, reported
City staff, 2022
100
full-time · 10 part-time · March payroll $460,109
Typical tax bill
$2,901
1.65% of home value · TX 1.49%

What stands out about how Liberty is run

Read from the city’s budget and official records.

Compared with similar places

$1,324 per resident in 2022: more than 78% of them

Liberty’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,324 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $880, and the middle half spent $630–$1,278. Liberty spent more than 78% of them.

Middle half of the group, $630–$1,278Median $880Liberty

Includes sewer and trash ($3 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 →

The group
175

Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Liberty itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $1,324 per resident a year, or $3.63 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: sewer & trash, at 24%.

Where the money comes from
Utility sales 59%Fees & charges 12%Property taxes 11%Sales taxes 10%From the state 7%Interest, fines & other 1%From other local governments <1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $4.9 million; interest on debt $492,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $31.5 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Liberty reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $2,901 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.65% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Texas$4,232
Dayton$3,167
Liberty$2,901
Ames$1,989
$2,901
typical bill a year
1.65%
effective rate
$175,300
typical home value (Census)
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Liberty’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 Liberty’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Liberty →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Liberty

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

See cityofliberty.org for Liberty’s current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Liberty yet.cityofliberty.org ↗
Agendas

Liberty’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on cityofliberty.org ↗.

Who works for Liberty

One full-time city employee for every 95 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (9,506).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Police26
Fire21 + 4 pt
Parks & libraries12 + 6 pt
Administration & buildings13
Roads & transportation7
Sewer & trash6
Water & other utilities6
Courts, inspections & corrections2
Health & welfare2
Other5
100
full-time
10
part-time
$460,109
payroll for March 2022
$5.5M
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$53,800
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
18
sworn police officers
18
full-time firefighters
Compared, 2022.Liberty had 10.5 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 146 of the 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.2: Liberty had more than 69% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Liberty Independent School District

Liberty’s K–12 school district, shared with Ames. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Liberty →
$12,269
per pupil · TX $12,815
2,424
students
$36.6 million
long-term debt

Of the $12,269 per pupil, $6,487 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.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 37%State 49%Federal 13%

Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.

Also serving Liberty

Hardin Independent School District · $12,241 per pupil

Dayton Independent School District · $11,087 per pupil

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Liberty’s votes are counted by county

Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Liberty alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Liberty County’s results.

President · Liberty County’s results31,323 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican80.6%25,241 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat19.0%5,952 votes

Others: 0.4% (130 votes).

Most votes in Liberty County: Donald J Trump

Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%

The county’s page

100% of Liberty lies in Liberty County. Every 2024 race in Liberty County is on the county’s page.

Liberty County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

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.

Who represents Liberty

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Liberty.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your cityMayor & council
  2. 2
    Texas HouseState representatives
  3. 3
    Texas SenateState senator
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Next door

How Liberty compares with the towns next door

Liberty spent $1,324 per resident in 2022. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.

Spends the leastSpends the mostEstimate or no figures
TownDay-to-day, per resident (2022)Tax bill
Amesestimate$1,989
Daytonestimate$3,167
Liberty$1,324$2,901

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 Liberty’s government

The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Liberty’s government

How much does Liberty spend per resident?

About $1,324 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,324 was more than 78% of 175 Texas cities of 2,500–9,999 that don’t run their own schools.

What is the property tax rate in Liberty?

Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,901 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.65% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see cityofliberty.org.

Who runs Liberty’s government?

See cityofliberty.org for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Liberty yet.

How did Liberty vote in 2024?

Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Liberty alone. Liberty County, where 100% of Liberty lies, voted Trump 80.6%, Harris 19.0% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Liberty?

100 full-time and 10 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $460,109 (about $5.5M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Liberty in the state legislature?

State Senate District 3 (Robert Nichols) and State House District 18 (Janis Holt). The House district also covers 24 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Liberty’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

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 →