What to put on a small district’s website.

By Michael, Texas81 · Updated October 28, 2026

Water, utility, emergency services and other small districts often run their website with very little staff time. Start with what Texas law asks for, add what residents look for, and keep it simple enough to maintain.

Items Texas law asks taxing units to post

If your district levies a property tax, Texas Tax Code Section 26.18 requires it to maintain a website, or have access to a generally accessible one, and to post these items in the format the Texas Comptroller prescribes:

• the names of the governing body members, and their official contact information if it differs from the district’s
• the district’s mailing address, email address and telephone number
• the budget for the two preceding years, and the proposed or adopted budget for the current year
• the change in budget from the prior year, in dollars and as a percentage
• property tax revenue budgeted for maintenance and operations and for debt service, for the two preceding years and the current year
• the maintenance and operations tax rate and the debt service tax rate adopted in each of the two preceding years, and the rates proposed for the current year
• the most recent financial audit

School districts have some different line items, such as interest and sinking fund rates. Read the current section on the Texas statutes website and confirm the list with your attorney.

Meeting notices and agendas

Under Government Code Section 551.056, districts and authorities created under Article III, Section 52, or Article XVI, Section 59, of the Texas Constitution that maintain a website must post meeting notices and agendas on it as well. That includes many water districts. See PDF or web page for public notices.

What residents look for first

• how to contact the office, office hours and an after-hours or emergency number
• outages and urgent notices, such as boil water notices
• rates, fees and how to pay a bill
• how to start or stop service
• a map or description of the service area
• meeting dates, agendas and minutes
• forms, and how to request public information

A simple page plan

1. Home: urgent notices at the top, then the most common tasks
2. Meetings: upcoming meetings first, then past agendas and minutes by year
3. Rates and payments: current rates, fees and ways to pay
4. Notices: current notices, with dates
5. Board and contact: board members, staff contacts and office hours
6. Budget and taxes: the Tax Code items in one place

See Texas81’s sample district website, which uses fictional information.

Accessibility and the 2028 deadline

Under the ADA Title II rule, special district governments have until April 26, 2028 to make their websites and documents meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Building new pages accessibly from the start costs less than fixing them later. See ADA Title II website deadlines for East Texas offices.

Keep it easy to maintain

• Name one person who is responsible for updates, and a backup.
• Put recurring posts on a calendar: agendas before each meeting, minutes after approval, budget and tax items each year.
• Remove or archive notices once they no longer apply.
• Keep official information on the website even if you also use social media.

Common questions

Does a small district need its own website?

If the district levies a property tax, Texas Tax Code Section 26.18 says it must maintain a website or have access to a generally accessible one for the required tax and budget items. Ask your attorney whether a shared website meets that requirement for your district.

When is the ADA Title II website deadline for special districts?

April 26, 2028, for all special district governments, whatever their population.

How often does the website need updating?

Meeting notices and agendas go up before each meeting, minutes after they are approved, and the tax and budget items each year. Urgent notices should go up as soon as they are issued.

Is a Facebook page enough?

Social media is useful for alerts, but it is hard to search and not everyone uses it. Keep official information, such as rates, meetings and required tax items, on your website.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Texas81 is not a law firm and does not certify legal compliance. Confirm the requirements, dates and exceptions that apply to your office with your attorney.

Sources: Texas Constitution and Statutes · ADA.gov: Fact sheet on the web and mobile app rule