Public money, spent in the open, for the best result at the fairest price.
Special districts build and run the roads, water, drainage, parks and lakes that millions of Texans live with every day, paid for with their property taxes and decades of bond debt. Texas Open Books exists so every resident can see how that money is decided, what it buys, and whether it buys it well.
What we stand for
Transparency
Every budget, bond, contract, invoice and vote should be easy to find and easy to understand. Not buried in a law firm's office or a PDF link, but laid out so any resident can follow the money from their tax bill to the pipe, pond or park it paid for.
On this site: every record we collect, with its source; every records request and its legal deadline; flags when records stop arriving.
Good decision-making
Boards make better decisions when the facts are on the table: what was proposed, what it costs, what the alternatives were, who advised, and whether anyone advising has a stake. Decisions should be made in public, on the record, with the documents that support them.
On this site: meeting agendas, approved minutes and plain-English overviews; open-meetings and conflict-of-interest checks; how often consultants are reviewed.
Fiscal responsibility
Borrowing should be sized to need, and repaid on terms residents can see. Developer reimbursements should follow the state's rules: actual costs, proven payments, allowed interest, land at what it really cost. Reserves should be reasonable, and surpluses should be accounted for.
On this site: bond-by-bond use of proceeds, developer interest and land payments, debt per home, budget against actual spending.
High-quality amenities at fair prices
Residents deserve parks, lakes, trails and infrastructure that are well built and well kept. They also deserve to pay a fair price for them: competitively bid, with engineering and soft costs in line with comparable work, and costs shared fairly where facilities are shared.
On this site: cost per home and per acre, engineering as a share of construction, comparisons between communities, and how shared costs are split.
The best use of public money
Every dollar a district spends is a resident's dollar. The question for each project is simple: is this the best thing this money could do, and is it being done at the best price? We put the numbers side by side so residents and boards can answer it together.
On this site: what each bond paid for, side-by-side comparisons, and open questions where the record doesn't explain a choice.
The lowest tax that pays for what residents value
Amenities should cost residents no more in tax than they need to. That means no avoidable interest, no inflated soft costs, no paying for capacity that serves others without fair payment back, and a tax rate set from a clear plan rather than habit.
On this site: tax rate history, the debt and maintenance parts of each rate, and how rates compare with similar districts.
How we work
- Nonpartisan. We take no side on any party, candidate, election or policy. The same standard applies to every district.
- Records first. Every figure links to the public document it came from. Where a record is missing, we say so and request it.
- Open questions, not accusations. Where the record is unclear, we ask, name the document that would answer the question, and publish the district's response.
- Law and practice kept apart. We say "required by law" only when a statute, rule or the constitution requires it. Common practice is labeled as practice.
- Residents in charge. Volunteer Responsible Residents look after their own districts. Two people review every letter to a board, and a person always sends it.
- We follow through. A question doesn't end with a letter. We keep working with the board, by letter, records request and public comment, until it's answered or resolved, and publish each step.
- Public money comes back. If the records show money paid that the law or a contract doesn't support, we lay out the evidence and the ways to recover it, so the board can act. The aim is to put public money back to work, not to assign blame.
- Officials are named only in their public roles.
What districts may spend on, and who holds them to it
Each kind of district has a set list of things it may pay for. MUDs and water control districts pay for water, sewer, drainage and, with voter approval, roads and parks. Management and improvement districts may also pay for services such as security, landscaping and economic development. Every district is bound by the Gift Clause: public money must serve a public purpose, with controls and a return to the public. Developer reimbursements must follow the state's rules, and contracts must be bid. Beyond the law, well-run boards publish budgets against actual spending, review their consultants, and record why they made each decision.
What success looks like
Every district in Texas with its budget, bonds, tax rates and decisions in one clear, current place. Residents who understand what they pay for. Boards that welcome the scrutiny because it helps them show their good work. Amenities that are excellent, fairly priced and carried by the lowest tax that pays for them.