How to Research Your Taxing Units' Bond History and Outstanding Debt
Throughout this series, we’ve covered the concepts behind bonds, debt service, and how different taxing units fit together. To wrap up, here’s a practical guide: how do you actually find this information for your specific taxing units? For expert advice and loan quotes related to property taxes, contact American Finance and Investment Co., Inc. (AFIC).
Step 1: Identify Your Taxing Units
As discussed in our article on estimating your tax bill, your property tax bill or statement should list each taxing unit that taxes your property — typically a school district, county, possibly a city, and possibly special districts (MUDs, hospital districts, community college districts). This list is your starting point.
Step 2: Visit Each Taxing Unit’s Official Website
Most taxing units maintain official websites with sections for financial transparency, budget documents, or ‘truth in taxation’ information. Look for sections related to:
- Annual budgets
- Annual financial reports / audits
- Debt service schedules
- Tax rate history and notices
Step 3: Look for Tax Rate Breakdowns
As discussed in our article on debt service, many taxing units publish their tax rate broken into M&O and I&S components — often as part of annual rate-setting communications required by truth-in-taxation rules.
Step 4: Look for Bond Election History
If you’re interested in past bond elections, county election records and the taxing unit’s own communications around past elections can show what’s been authorized and when.
Step 5: Check for Credit Rating Information
As discussed in our bond ratings article, annual financial reports or bond offering documents often reference the taxing unit’s current credit rating(s).
Step 6: Look for Outstanding Debt Totals
Annual financial reports (sometimes called Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports, or similar) typically include information about total outstanding debt, often broken down by type (GO bonds, revenue bonds, etc., as discussed in our GO vs. revenue bonds article).
What If You Can’t Find What You’re Looking For?
If specific information isn’t readily available on a taxing unit’s website, contacting the entity directly (often through a finance department or tax office) is a reasonable next step — these are generally public entities with public information obligations.
Putting the Pieces Together
With this information, you can build a more complete picture of:
- What portion of each taxing unit’s rate is M&O vs. I&S
- How much outstanding debt each taxing unit has, and what it’s for
- The taxing unit’s credit rating and general financial health
- The history of bond elections that created this debt
Why This Matters
Understanding this background doesn’t change your current tax bill, but it can help you understand why rates are what they are, anticipate how they might change (as old debt is retired or new debt is issued), and engage more informedly with future bond elections or rate discussions in your community.
Series Wrap-Up
This concludes our series on bonds and property taxes. Combined with our other categories — appraisals and protests, exemptions, calculations and deadlines, and home value factors — you now have a comprehensive foundation for understanding how Texas property taxes work from multiple angles.
Manage Your Property Taxes with AFIC
Whatever you learn about your taxing units’ finances, your own tax bill — and any delinquent balance — is something AFIC can help with directly.
American Finance & Investment Co., Inc. (AFIC) has helped Texas property owners understand and manage their property tax obligations for over 80 years. See if you qualify for a property tax loan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start by identifying each taxing unit on your tax bill, then visit each one’s official website for budget and financial transparency sections.
Annual rate-setting communications and truth-in-taxation notices often include this breakdown.
Annual financial reports/audits typically include this information, often broken down by bond type.
Contacting the entity directly (e.g., its finance department) is a reasonable next step, as these are generally public entities with public information obligations.
No — but it can help you understand why rates are what they are and how they might change over time.
