Follow the Money
On September 2, San Angelo's City Council adopted a $241.3 million budget and a higher tax rate in two consecutive 6–1 votes. The rate rose 9.67%. The city's own finance director attributed most of it to one thing: the coliseum renovation bond.
The FY26 numbers
| Line | FY25 | FY26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total tax rate per $100 valuation | 0.75440 | 0.79470 | +0.04030 (+9.67% effective) |
| Operational budget | — | $241,308,736 | — |
| Total property tax raised vs. prior year | — | +$5,716,170 | increase |
| of which, from newly added property | — | $861,795 | 15.1% of the increase |
| of which, from existing taxpayers | — | $4,854,375 | 84.9% of the increase |
| Adoption votes (budget, then rate) | — | 6–1, 6–1 | Sept. 2 |
The split between new property and existing taxpayers is arithmetic on the City's own published figures: $5,716,170 total less $861,795 from new property.
What drove it: the coliseum bond
City Finance Director Tina Dierschke attributed the increase mostly to the issuance of the coliseum renovation bond. Local reporting had flagged this in advance — that San Angelo property taxes would likely rise to pay for the coliseum renovation.
San Angelo just demonstrated its willingness to raise property taxes 9.67% to service a single capital project. That is the context in which a $21–22 billion taxable facility is being pitched as the solution to a $400 million water treatment plant. The two stories are the same story: how does this city pay for infrastructure, and who bears it?
The tax base math on the data center
The economic case rests on one comparison:
| Figure | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| San Angelo total property tax base | $7.9 billion | Current |
| Claimed data center valuation | $21–22 billion | Developer representation, full build-out |
| Implied combined base | ~$29–30 billion | Nearly quadruple — if fully taxable |
| Expected benefit begins | Year 5 or 6 | City of San Angelo's own estimate |
| State tax incentive | Qualifies | Reported April 2026 as qualifying regardless of local action |
| Local Chapter 380 agreement | Not executed | Terms “to be negotiated”; circulated drafts called “only examples” |
Every number in the top half of that table is a projection. Every number that would let you check the projection — the abatement schedule, the 380 terms, the appraisal on the land the city sold — is either unexecuted or unpublished. That is not an accusation; it is a description of what is and is not available to a resident today.
Other taxing entities on your bill
City rate is only one line. A San Angelo homeowner also pays Tom Green County, San Angelo ISD, and other special districts. Values are set by the Tom Green County Appraisal District — not by the city.
| Entity | Contact | Records |
|---|---|---|
| City of San Angelo | 72 W. College Ave, San Angelo TX 76903 · 325-657-4405 | Request via our TPIA tool |
| Tom Green County | 112 W. Beauregard Ave, San Angelo TX 76903 · 325-659-6556 | Request via our TPIA tool |
| San Angelo ISD | 1621 University Ave, San Angelo TX 76904 | SAISD portal |
| Tom Green County Appraisal District | Tyler Johnson, Chief Appraiser · 2302 Pulliam St, San Angelo TX 76905 · 325-658-5575 | Request via our TPIA tool |
Budget documents we want
The adopted budget, the debt service schedule, and the coliseum bond documents are all public records. So is the appraisal on the land the city sold. We file, we publish.