TML Surveys
The Texas Municipal League surveys its members on a regular basis about a variety of topics. As a service to our members, TML will make results of these surveys available here, with the exception of the Salaries and Benefits Survey, as it is a subscription-based service. You can learn more about this service, as well as see a demonstration, by clicking on the following link:.
Salary and Fringe Benefit Survey
2008 Texas Home Rule Charter Survey
2008 Water and Wastewater Survey Results Are Available
The results of the 2008 water and wastewater rate survey conducted by the Texas Municipal League are now posted here. In addition, you can access previous years’ results. If you have difficulty accessing this information, or you would like to receive a hard copy of the results, please call Laurie Dodson in the TML office at 512-231-7400.
The survey was sent to all 1,093 TML member cities; 853 cities responded. Information is presented only for cities that provide water and wastewater services to their residents. Information for cities that provide water and wastewater services through municipal utility districts, interlocal agreements, and other private sources is not included in the survey. The information contained in the survey results was provided by the cities, and TML made no attempt to verify the accuracy of information reported. Where no response to a specific question was received, a zero is used to indicate no response; zeroes are not included in the computations of averages.
A total of 706 cities reported that they provide water service to their residents. The average cost of water usage of 5,000 gallons in all cities is $25.58, an increase over the 2007 average of $24.83. The average monthly residential consumption in all cities is 6,291 gallons.
Wastewater service is provided in 690 of the cities responding to the survey. The average cost of wastewater service for residential usage of 5,000 gallons is $20.48, an increase over last year's average of $19.03.
The following files are in an Excel format.
- Water Fees by Population Group Summary
- Residential and Commercial Water Costs Details
- Wastewater Fees by Population Category Summary
- Residential and Commercial Wastewater Costs Details
The following files are in a .pdf format.
- Water Fees by Population Group Summary
- Residential and Commercial Water Costs Details
- Wastewater Fees by Population Category Summary
- Residential and Commercial Wastewater Costs Details
2008 Texas Home Rule Charter Survey
The Texas Municipal League is conducting a survey of every home rule charter city in Texas. The survey is lengthy, but your participation is vital to ensuring that we collect accurate and timely data. We ask that you please complete the survey (along with a copy of your most recent city charter) to us at your earliest convenience, but no later than February 6, 2008.
You may complete the survey in one of two ways. The first option is to to complete the survey electronically (preferred) by going to the following link:
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB227AY9MVQ9F
As an alternative, you may fill out the hard copy that was mailed to each home rule city on January 10, 2008, and mail or fax it to:
Texas
Home Rule Charter Survey
c/o Texas Municipal League
1821 Rutherford
Lane, Suite 400
Austin, Texas 78754
Fax 512-231-7490
If you did not receive the hard copy, and wish to fill out the survey in that manner, please click here to download the paper version.
In either case, please also send us a copy of your most recent charter. You may mail the charter to the address above, or e-mail it to charters@tml.org (preferred). Please contact Scott Houston, director of legal services, at shouston@tml.org or 512-231-7400 with questions.
2008 Annual TML Taxation and Debt Survey Results Are Available
The Texas Municipal League’s annual survey of municipal tax and debt is complete for the 2007-2008 budget year, and results are now posted here. If you have difficulty accessing this information, or you would like to receive a hard copy of the results, please call Laurie Dodson in the TML office at 512-231-7400. If you are interested, you can also obtain results from past years by scrolling to “TML Survey Archive,” above.
This year, 698 cities responded to the Municipal Tax and Debt Survey (1,093 surveys were distributed). Please keep in mind that all data in this survey are self-reported, and TML cannot be responsible for errors made by the reporting entities.
The following information may be helpful when you review the survey results:
Limitations on Municipal Tax Rates
Municipal property tax rates are limited by the Texas Constitution (Article XI, Sections 4 and 5) and state law. Municipal tax rate ceilings are as follows:
- Cities of 5,000 or less in population can levy a maximum tax rate of $1.50 per $100 assessed valuation;
- Cities over 5,000 in population can levy up to $2.50 per $100 assessed valuation (for a home rule city, a rate lower than $2.50 per $100 may be prescribed under its charter);
- Type B general law cities can levy a maximum of 25 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
Definitions of Terms Used in the Survey
General obligation bonds are bonds that are secured by a pledge of the full faith and credit and the taxing power of the issuers. The term is synonymous with the term “tax-supported.”
Revenue bonds are special obligations of the issuer (as opposed to general obligations) that are payable solely from the revenues derived from an income-producing facility. Revenue bonds are sometimes further secured by a first mortgage on the physical plant or property whose revenues are pledged. Such bonds are called “first mortgage revenue bonds.”
Certificates of obligation are a financing mechanism a city may use to pay a contractual obligation incurred in: (1) a construction contract; (2) the purchase of materials, supplies, equipment, machinery, buildings, land, and rights-of-way for authorized needs and purposes; or (3) the payment of professional services, including services provided by tax appraisers, engineers, architects, attorneys, map makers, auditors, financial advisors, and fiscal agents.
Tax rate is the rate at which taxes are levied per $100 of assessed valuation. In Texas, the ad valorem tax rate for local governments is expressed in terms of dollars or cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
When viewing the survey results online, the following key to municipal utilities and facilities referenced in the survey may be helpful:
Key to Municipal Utilities and Facilities
AM—Auditorium; AP—Airport; C—Cemetery; CE—Civic/Community Center; E—Electric System; FG—Fairgrounds; GC—Golf Course; GS—Gas System; H—Hospital; HR—Boat Harbor; L—Library/Museum; LK—Lake; M—Market; MB—Municipal Building; P—Parking Lot; PH—Public Housing Units; PK—Parks and Recreation; S—Sewer System; SC—Senior Center; SL—Solid Waste Disposal System; SP—Swimming Pool; T—Transit Bus System; TB—Toll Bridge; W—Water System; ZO—Zoo; ZZ—Other
Click here to download Survey results in an Excel format