On Sept. 17, 2026, San Antonio City Council voted 7–4 to raise the city property tax rate from 54.159 cents to 56.288 cents per $100 of taxable value, according to KSAT. It was the city's first increase in more than 30 years. Riverstone at Westpointe is not inside San Antonio. A 2018 city agenda item describes the Westpointe area as being in the City's extraterritorial jurisdiction and unincorporated Bexar County, and says the City does not provide services or assess taxes there.
The council vote still reaches Riverstone. Homes there sit inside the Westpointe Special Improvement District, and that district's tax rate is pegged to the city's rate by rule. If you're comparing far west communities and have already seen Riverstone's list prices, this line on the tax bill tells you more about long-run cost than the sticker does.
The clause that ties Riverstone to City Hall
The district published its own notice ahead of a Sept. 10, 2026 hearing. It explains the connection in one sentence:
"The District is required to adopt a tax rate of the lesser of $1.00 per $100 valuation or the City of San Antonio Tax Rate."
The same Westpointe SID notice lists the current rate as $0.54159 per $100 and a proposed rate of $0.56288. That is the exact figure City Council went on to approve. The district's agenda for that meeting included action on the FY2026–27 tax rate. As of Oct. 8, 2026, though, the materials posted on the Bexar County special improvement districts site show the notice and agenda but no minutes or adopted-rate resolution. Until those are posted, $0.56288 is the proposed SID rate, not a confirmed one.
So a homeowner in Riverstone gets no city services and has no council vote, yet has a tax line set to follow the city's rate. When the city's rate moves, the cap on the district's rate moves with it.
Where the district's money goes
The Bexar County Commissioners Court created Westpointe SID by order on Jan. 15, 2019, under Chapter 382 of the Texas Local Government Code. A confirmation election on May 4, 2019 approved its powers and taxing authority. The Commissioners Court also appoints its seven-member board. The district's 2023 bond official statement shows what the tax pays for. Proceeds from the Series 2023A bonds reimburse the developers for the cost of creating the district and for public improvements including utilities. Series 2023B reimburses them for public improvements including roads.
The same document names those developers as Continental Homes of Texas, a D.R. Horton subsidiary, and Pulte Homes of Texas. It also identifies Riverstone at Westpointe as the single-family subdivision Continental built inside the district. The district covers about 2,382 acres and is planned for 5,191 residential lots plus about 1,140 acres of commercial and multifamily development. It holds road district powers and can build water, wastewater, and drainage facilities.
Put plainly, part of the cost of the streets and pipes under Riverstone was not built into the home prices. It was financed through bonds, and homeowners repay those bonds through the SID line year by year. The official statement says neither the County nor the City pledges its taxing power to repay that debt. Only the district's own tax base does.
How much of the rate is debt
The district's proposed FY2026–27 budget, prepared by Hilltop Securities and dated Sept. 4, 2026, splits the current $0.54159 rate into two parts.
| Component | Rate per $100 | Share of SID rate |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance and operations | $0.18053 | One-third |
| Interest and sinking, which is debt service | $0.36106 | Two-thirds |
| Total, current | $0.54159 |
Two of every three cents of the SID rate go toward debt. The same budget assumes a Series 2026 bond issuance in its debt service projection and lists a $1.6 million potential reimbursement to developers. The bond program is still adding debt, and the city-linked cap sets the ceiling on what the district can levy to carry it.
The growth inside the budget
The budget's footnotes describe what the district's tax base is doing. In 2025 the district counted 1,813 homes with an average value of $332,811. In 2026 it counts 2,478 homes with an average value of $327,818. Total taxable assessed value rose 16%, from about $847.1 million in 2025 to about $983.5 million in 2026.
The average home's value dipped slightly, yet the district's base grew by double digits. Nearly all of that growth came from new rooftops, not appreciation. Each newly finished home adds its share of a debt that was issued against the whole district, and that matters while the district keeps issuing bonds. The 2023 official statement counted 933 completed homes as of Aug. 17, 2023, with more lots still planned.
As a rough illustration only, take the district's own 2026 average home value of $327,818. At $0.54159 per $100, the SID line comes to about $1,775 a year. At the proposed $0.56288, it comes to about $1,845, a difference of roughly $70. This math applies no exemptions and doesn't describe any particular property's bill.
The full stack, and the vote still ahead
The SID is one line among several. Bexar County's 2025 tax rate report lists these units and rates per $100 for tax year 2025:
| Taxing unit | 2025 rate |
|---|---|
| Northside ISD | $1.004900 |
| Westpointe SID | $0.541590 |
| Bexar County | $0.276331 |
| Hospital District | $0.276235 |
| Alamo Community College District | $0.149150 |
| Emergency Service District #2 | $0.087932 |
| Road and Flood | $0.023668 |
| San Antonio River Authority | $0.018300 |
Added together, those lines come to about $2.38 per $100. The SID makes up close to a quarter of that, second only to the school district. The county report covers rates countywide. It is not a parcel statement, so the exact mix for one address lives on that property's Bexar Appraisal District account.
Northside ISD is also changing this fall. On Aug. 11, 2026, its board adopted a total rate of $1.0349, made up of $0.6994 for maintenance and operations and $0.3355 for debt service. That rate is above the voter-approval rate, so it needs voters to ratify it. Proposition A goes before voters on Nov. 3, 2026. NISD's tax-rate impact page lists $1.0049 as current and $1.0349 as proposed. Local reporting describes the three-cent increase as depending on voter approval. The San Antonio Report notes the district also put an $886.2 million bond package on the ballot, with no proposed increase to the debt service rate.
For a buyer under contract this fall, that means two lines on the stack are still open:
- Westpointe SID. Proposed at $0.56288 to match the city. As of this writing, no adopted rate has been posted.
- Northside ISD. Adopted at $1.0349, but subject to the Nov. 3 vote. If Proposition A fails, $1.0049 stays in place.
Escrow estimates and lender payment quotes built from last year's bill won't reflect either change. Whether they apply depends on dates that land after many fall contracts are signed.
Questions that come up about the Westpointe SID
Is the SID the same as an HOA fee? No. The district levies an ad valorem tax on taxable property inside its boundaries, and its bonds are repaid from that tax. It appears on the property tax bill, separate from any association dues.
Is every Riverstone home in Northside ISD? Riverstone at Westpointe's builder lists Northside ISD for the community's schools. The district's bond documents say the SID's wider boundary falls within both Northside and Medina Valley ISDs, so the school taxing unit for a specific lot is confirmed on its appraisal account.
Can the SID rate go above the city's rate? Under the rule quoted in the district's 2026 notice, it is set at the lesser of $1.00 per $100 or the City of San Antonio's rate. If the city's rate rises again, the district's ceiling rises with it, up to that $1.00 limit.
Who sits on the board? Seven directors appointed by the Bexar County Commissioners Court to staggered two-year terms. Directors must live in the district, and once its population reaches 1,000, they must also meet ownership or related requirements set out in the official statement.
If a Riverstone home is on your list, I'm glad to pull the property's appraisal account and taxing units with you, and to walk through how the Westpointe SID and the Nov. 3 Northside vote could change the monthly payment before you write an offer. Alyssa Oliver can help you see the full tax picture before you sign. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
