A history of tax increases

He voted to raise your property tax rate six years in a row.

Twice he made the motion himself.

The short version

  1. Ruiz voted for 6 tax rate increases in 6 years.

    Added together, they put the rate 77% higher than it would have been.

    See the proof

    Property tax rate he voted to adopt, per $100 of value

    $0.457 $0.493 $0.529 $0.565 $0.486FY22 $0.481FY23 $0.536FY24 $0.543FY25 $0.535FY26 $0.544FY27

    How much the rate has gone up since he took office

    92.04% 61.36% 30.68% 0% 8%FY22 31%FY23 62.4%FY24 68.1%FY25 70.8%FY26 76.7%FY27

    The six increases were 8%, 21.3%, 24%, 3.46%, 1.63% and 3.46%.

  2. When the 24% increase failed in 2023, he brought it back and passed it.

    The first motion fell short of the 60% it needed. Ruiz moved the same increase himself and it passed.

    See the proof
    City Council minutes, 2023-09-12, page 7: Mayor Gonzales opened the item for discussion. Mayor Pro Tem Weiss moved that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.5362 which is effectively a 24 percent increase in the tax rate. Ms. Holiday seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: … Mayor Pro Tem Weiss - yes, Mayor Gonzales - yes, Ms. Holiday - yes, Mr. McDonald - yes, Mr. Ruiz - no. The motion failed due to need of a 60% approval. Mr. Ruiz moved that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.5362 which is effectively a 24 percent increase in the tax rate. Mayor Pro Tem Weiss seconded the motion. … All others voted in favor. The motion carried.

    City Council minutes, 2023-09-12, p. 7 · Official PDF

    Read the minutes
    Mayor Gonzales opened the item for discussion. Mayor Pro Tem Weiss moved that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.5362 which is effectively a 24 percent increase in the tax rate. Ms. Holiday seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: … Mayor Pro Tem Weiss - yes, Mayor Gonzales - yes, Ms. Holiday - yes, Mr. McDonald - yes, Mr. Ruiz - no. The motion failed due to need of a 60% approval. Mr. Ruiz moved that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.5362 which is effectively a 24 percent increase in the tax rate. Mayor Pro Tem Weiss seconded the motion. … All others voted in favor. The motion carried.

  3. In 2025 he moved the increase himself and refused to hold taxes flat.

    A colleague offered to keep the rate at the level that raises the same money as the year before. He said no.

    See the proof
    Made the motion

    He made the motion to raise the rate.

    City Council minutes, 2025-09-09, page 6: Mayor Gonzales read the item. Mr. Ruiz moved that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.535000, which is effectively a 1.63 percent increase in the tax rate. Mr. Metayer seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Mr. Metayer - yes, Mr. Weiss - yes, … Mayor Gonzales - yes, Mayor Pro Tem Holiday - yes, Mr. Ruiz - yes, Ms. Ryan - no. The motion carried.

    City Council minutes, 2025-09-09, p. 6 · Official PDF

    Read the minutes
    Mayor Gonzales read the item. Mr. Ruiz moved that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.535000, which is effectively a 1.63 percent increase in the tax rate. Mr. Metayer seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Mr. Metayer - yes, Mr. Weiss - yes, … Mayor Gonzales - yes, Mayor Pro Tem Holiday - yes, Mr. Ruiz - yes, Ms. Ryan - no. The motion carried.
    Voted no

    He refused the amendment to hold taxes flat.

    City Council minutes, 2025-09-09, page 5: specific funds within the budget and franchise fees. Mr. Ruiz moved to approve the item. Mayor Pro Tem Holiday seconded the motion. Ms. Ryan asked Ms. Waldron about specific items listed in the budget. Mayor Gonzales called for the vote. … Mr. Ruiz did not accept the amendment. Mr. Metayer was not present for the vote. The vote was as follows: Mr. Ruiz - yes, Mayor Pro Tem Holiday - yes, Ms. Ryan - no, Mayor Gonzales - yes, … Mr. Weiss - yes. The motion carried.

    City Council minutes, 2025-09-09, p. 5 · Official PDF

    Read the minutes
    specific funds within the budget and franchise fees. Mr. Ruiz moved to approve the item. Mayor Pro Tem Holiday seconded the motion. Ms. Ryan asked Ms. Waldron about specific items listed in the budget. Mayor Gonzales called for the vote. … Mr. Ruiz did not accept the amendment. Mr. Metayer was not present for the vote. The vote was as follows: Mr. Ruiz - yes, Mayor Pro Tem Holiday - yes, Ms. Ryan - no, Mayor Gonzales - yes, … Mr. Weiss - yes. The motion carried.

  4. Add up city taxes and the water bill, and Pflugerville costs more than any nearby city.

    A typical Pflugerville home pays about $4,069 a year in city property tax plus water and sewer. That is more than Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Hutto, Manor or Elgin.

    Pflugerville$4,069 Austin$3,597 Elgin$3,415 Manor$3,393 Hutto$2,923 Georgetown$2,842 Cedar Park$2,737 Round Rock$2,347
    See how we added it up

    City property tax on a typical home plus a year of water and sewer at 5,000 gallons a month

    Pflugerville$4,069 Austin$3,597 Elgin$3,415 Manor$3,393 Hutto$2,923 Georgetown$2,842 Cedar Park$2,737 Round Rock$2,347

    FY2027 adopted tax rates (Round Rock's is the proposed rate) applied to each city's average or median taxable home value, plus 12 months of water and sewer. Austin's water system is paid for by its water rates, not property taxes, the same as Pflugerville's. Current residential rates, inside city limits, smallest meter, winter-averaged sewer. Sources: Pflugerville FY2027 budget · Austin · Hutto · Elgin · Georgetown · Manor · Cedar Park · Round Rock. Leander's residential rates were not published in a form we could verify.

  5. Now he tells voters he runs on affordability.

    He said it at the Democratic endorsement forum in September 2026, the same month he voted for his sixth increase.

    Watch him say it
    On video

    Ruiz: “I run on a platform of affordability.”

    “I run on a platform of affordability.”

    Pflugerville Area Democrats endorsement forum, Sept. 13, 2026, 5:34 · Watch on YouTube

See every tax vote he cast
Voted yes

2021: an 8% increase, his first budget.

City Council minutes, 2021-08-24, page 10: Mayor Gonzales made a motion that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.4863 oer $100 of valuation, which is effectively an 8.0% increase in the tax rate. Mr. Metayer seconded the motion. Mr. Weiss voted no, all others voted yes. The motion carried.

City Council minutes, 2021-08-24, p. 10 · Official PDF

Read the minutes
Mayor Gonzales made a motion that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.4863 oer $100 of valuation, which is effectively an 8.0% increase in the tax rate. Mr. Metayer seconded the motion. Mr. Weiss voted no, all others voted yes. The motion carried.
Voted yes

2022: a 21.3% increase.

City Council minutes, 2022-09-13, page 6: Mayor Gonzales opened the item. Mayor Pro Tem Weiss moved that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of the tax of $0.4813, which is effectively a 21.3 percent increase in the tax rate. … All voted in favor. The motion carried.

City Council minutes, 2022-09-13, p. 6 · Official PDF

Read the minutes
Mayor Gonzales opened the item. Mayor Pro Tem Weiss moved that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of the tax of $0.4813, which is effectively a 21.3 percent increase in the tax rate. … All voted in favor. The motion carried.
Voted yes

2024: a 3.46% increase.

City Council minutes, 2024-09-24, page 6: Mayor Gonzales opened the item. Mayor Pro Tem Weiss moved that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.5428 per $100 valuation, which is effectively a 3.46 percent increase in the tax rate. Mr. Metayer seconded the motion. … All others voted in favor. The motion carried.

City Council minutes, 2024-09-24, p. 6 · Official PDF

Read the minutes
Mayor Gonzales opened the item. Mayor Pro Tem Weiss moved that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.5428 per $100 valuation, which is effectively a 3.46 percent increase in the tax rate. Mr. Metayer seconded the motion. … All others voted in favor. The motion carried.
Voted yes

2026: another increase, two months before asking for your vote.

City Council minutes, 2026-09-08, page 4: Mayor Pro Tem Holiday moved to approve the ordinance 0898 and that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.5436, which is effectively a 3.46 percent increase in the tax rate. Mr. Coffman seconded the motion. Mr. Metayer discussed the required language for the motion from the state and impact from the legislature on the city's future ability to move forward. The vote was as follows: … Mr. Coffman - yes, Mr. Metayer - yes, Mayor Weiss - yes, Ms. Ryan - no, Mr. Ruiz - yes, Mayor Pro Tem Holiday - yes. The motion carried.

City Council minutes, 2026-09-08, p. 4 · Official PDF

Read the minutes
Mayor Pro Tem Holiday moved to approve the ordinance 0898 and that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.5436, which is effectively a 3.46 percent increase in the tax rate. Mr. Coffman seconded the motion. Mr. Metayer discussed the required language for the motion from the state and impact from the legislature on the city's future ability to move forward. The vote was as follows: … Mr. Coffman - yes, Mr. Metayer - yes, Mayor Weiss - yes, Ms. Ryan - no, Mr. Ruiz - yes, Mayor Pro Tem Holiday - yes. The motion carried.
Not there

2025: absent when the council set the maximum rate.

City Council minutes, 2025-08-12, page 7: proposed maximum tax rate. Mr. Metayer moved to approve the resolution. Mayor Gonzales seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Mr. Metayer - yes, … Ms. Ryan - no, Mayor Gonzales - yes, Mr. Weiss - yes. Mr. Ruiz was not in attendance. The motion carried.

City Council minutes, 2025-08-12, p. 7 · Official PDF

Read the minutes
proposed maximum tax rate. Mr. Metayer moved to approve the resolution. Mayor Gonzales seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Mr. Metayer - yes, … Ms. Ryan - no, Mayor Gonzales - yes, Mr. Weiss - yes. Mr. Ruiz was not in attendance. The motion carried.