Debt-Free Washington County Asks Voters for $15.45 Million Expo Arena Bond

This is a preview. Washington County voters decide this question on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and no results are in yet.

Washington County has no tax-supported debt today. On Tuesday, voters will decide whether to change that with $15.45 million in bonds for a covered multi-purpose arena at the Washington County Expo in Brenham.

The ballot labels Proposition A with the words "THIS IS A TAX INCREASE."

A first bond for a county with no debt

According to the county's order calling the election, the county's outstanding tax-supported debt was $0.00 as of the date of the order, and its debt service tax rate for the current fiscal year was $0.00 per $100 of value. The county's voter information document lists that date as Aug. 14, 2026, when the Commissioners Court called the election.

Commissioners voted unanimously that day to call the election, KWHI reported. The station said the project was previously labeled a covered rodeo arena.

The ballot language describes the bonds as being for the construction, acquisition, renovation and improvement of county parks, including park facilities at the Washington County Expo park, plus land and rights-of-way. Commissioner Candice Bullock said the bond was proposed under the county's park bond authority, according to KWHI, and the court designated the Expo as a park at its July 14 meeting.

KWHI also reported that the arena was first considered as part of a combined $61 million issue of certificates of obligation that included a new judicial center. Commissioners split the two projects. The station reported that up to $45 million in certificates of obligation for the judicial center was approved on Aug. 11. That debt was approved by commissioners, not by voters.

What would be built

The county says the facility would give the Expo a weather-protected, year-round venue for livestock, equine, rodeo, agricultural and community events, as well as trade shows, KWHI reported. The county also says it would help the Expo draw larger gatherings and benefit local businesses.

At the Oct. 6 Commissioners Court meeting, architect Katie Burch of PlanNorth showed concepts for the covered, open-air building, according to KWHI. She said it is projected to seat 3,000 to 3,200 people in the stands, not counting seats on the floor, and could be expanded later as time and funding allow. The project also looks at walkability, traffic flow and lighting around the Expo grounds.

Uses presented to commissioners include livestock shows and sales, rodeos, festivals, graduations, band practices, car shows, job fairs, the county fair, and use as an emergency shelter and disaster staging site.

An indoor arena in Tamworth, Australia, in 2008. This is not the proposed Washington County facility. Photo: Cgoodwin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The cost

The voter information document estimates $11,391,376 in interest at an assumed 4.65% rate, for a total of $26,841,376 in principal and interest over 25 years. By our math, that is about 74 cents in interest for every dollar borrowed. The proposition itself allows the bonds to mature within 40 years.

The county estimates the maximum yearly tax increase on a homestead appraised at $100,000 would be about $12.38, before any exemptions. By our math, if that estimate scales evenly with value, a $300,000 homestead would pay about $37.14 more per year at most. KWHI reported an estimated tax rate increase of $0.0143 per $100 of value.

The county's estimate assumes one bond sale in fiscal 2027, taxable values growing 5% a year from 2027 through 2031 and 2.5% a year from 2032 through 2034, then no growth, and a 100% tax collection rate. The schedule shows yearly payments of about $1.06 million from 2028 through 2052.

Where to vote

Early voting has ended. On Election Day, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. One of the county's Election Day polling places is the Fairgrounds Event Center at the Expo, 1305 E. Blue Bell Road in Brenham.

Our view

A county with no tax-supported debt has done something right, and voters should think carefully before giving that up. An arena for livestock shows, rodeos and the county fair has real value in a farming county like Washington County, and an emergency shelter is worth having. But $26.8 million over 25 years is real money, and the bill lands on every property owner.

Commissioners deserve credit for asking voters on the arena. It is fair to ask why the larger $45 million judicial center did not get the same vote. From Collin County to the city of Temple, local governments are asking voters to borrow this fall. Folks in Washington County should weigh the full cost, not just the yearly tax, before they mark their ballots.