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TexasLand USA Theme Park vs. Rural Texas: A Fight for the Land We Call Home
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Keep Our Penny Local - Keep Millions Working Here
We didn’t get a vote on TexasLand USA.
We didn’t have a say when private developers pushed for their power to tax, borrow, and govern themselves.
But this November, we finally do get a vote — one that could keep millions of dollars working right here in Waller County instead of disappearing to Austin or into the hands of private developers.
A County Assistance District (CAD) is a voter-approved tool that allows the county to claim the final 1% of local sales tax (already authorized under state law) and dedicate it to public needs in unincorporated areas.
What’s at Stake
Most purchases in Texas already include a 8.25% sales tax. Here's where it goes:
- 6.25% – State of Texas
- 1% – Emergency Services (ESD 200: fire & EMS)
- 1% – currently unclaimed in unincorporated Waller County
This isn’t a new tax — it simply claims that final 1% so it funds roads, drainage, public safety, and infrastructure right here at home.
If We Pass the CAD (YES)
- We claim the final 1% locally.
- The full 2% local sales-tax capacity is used for public purposes.
- Revenue that might otherwise default to the state stays here.
- A private district — like the one TexasLand USA wants — can no longer tap into that 1%.
If We Don't (NO)
- The 1% stays on the table.
- A developer-controlled Municipal Management District (MMD) can try to capture it inside their project.
- Or it may never be claimed locally — and flows to Austin.
How Developers Gain Power — Without a Public Vote
This didn’t start with the CAD vote — it began with a surprise bill filed quietly in Austin.
In May 2025, House Bill 5685, introduced by Rep. Kitzman, would have created a special improvement district for the TexasLand USA site — granting powers to tax, borrow, and self-govern. The required public notice appeared only in the Houston Chronicle, not any local paper, so almost no one in Waller County knew it existed until it was nearly too late.
Community outrage spread quickly once the news broke. Residents mobilized, and the bill was eventually pulled. But the same idea didn’t go away. TexasLand USA has since stated that it plans to apply for a Municipal Management District (MMD) through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) — a quieter process that grants similar powers without a legislative vote.
If approved, that MMD could levy taxes, issue bonds, and operate for decades with limited public oversight. It’s the same playbook under a different name — and why this CAD vote matters now. By claiming the remaining 1 % sales tax, Waller County can close off that revenue stream before any private district uses it to finance its projects.
The Choice Is Ours
We didn’t get a vote on TexasLand USA.
We didn’t get a say when developers went to Austin to try to create their own taxing district.
The CAD vote is our chance to finish what community action started when HB 5685 was pulled — by keeping control of that last 1 % in local hands.
Vote YES to stop private taxing power.
Vote YES to protect public oversight.
Vote YES to keep our penny - and our future - under local control.
