BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL HOLDS BRIEF HEARING ON BUDGET, TAX RATE
No citizens came forward during today’s (Monday) public hearing on Brenham’s City Council budget or tax rate.
The council’s proposed budget for the new fiscal year, beginning October 1st, expects roughly $69.9 million in expenditures, with revenues at $65.3 million.
Chief Financial Officer Carolyn Miller said the budget supports 30 funds in Brenham’s fund accounting system.
She also listed city personnel as the highest operating expense in the budget, at $16.9 million, compared to $12.4 million for the general fund and $4.5 million for utility funds.
The budget currently does not show any utility rate increases, but Miller says rates are being looked at, and could be increased in the future.
Miller stated that this year’s general fund personnel budget increased $343,959, up 27 percent from last year’s budget. Approximately 48 percent of this increase was because of an increase in medical insurance, with medical premiums up 7 percent. Miller said the City of Brenham did not pass this increase on to city employees.
She also said 41 percent of the overall increase was in salaries, due to STEP program raises and new full-time positions.
The city’s general fund budget, which acts as the primary budget for city services, sits at a balanced $18.2 million.
The council also held its first of two hearings on its proposed tax rate of $0.5170 per $100. The rate, while being the same as last year’s, would generate about $268,777 more in property taxes than last year, roughly a 4.15 percent increase. This is due to higher property values in the district. Roughly $84,022 of that is revenue from new property on the tax roll.
According to Miller, the proposed rate is effectively a 3 percent increase in the tax rate. The council will look to adopt the rate at its meeting Thursday.