BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL ADOPTS BUDGET & TAX RATE
the 2024-25 budget and tax rate for
adoption at Thursday's Brenham City Council
meeting.
The Brenham City Council unanimously voted today (Thursday) to adopt the budget and property tax rate for the new fiscal year.
The budget sets out $107,593,765 in expenditures. Chief Financial Officer Julie Flagg said priorities established during budget workshops were public safety and succession planning, and both of those were accounted for the budget.
Speaking specifically on public safety, Flagg said its allotment has increased 8.9 percent in this year’s budget compared to the previous adopted budget.
Discussing succession planning, Flagg said an assistant city manager position is included in the budget, with a start date in January. The position is intended to ease the city’s leadership transition with the planned retirement next year of City Manager Carolyn Miller.
Other expenses of note include work on the water plant expansion and wastewater projects, as well as the construction of the second fire station.
The new budget is slated to raise an additional $959,022, or 9.42 percent, in property tax revenue compared to the current budget. Of that amount, $364,048 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll.
The tax rate is remaining the same as last year’s, at $0.4584 per $100 valuation. With higher property valuations, the rate is expected to raise the average homestead’s tax payment by $148.43, or 13.51 percent.
How this year’s rate is made up will differ slightly from last year. The city is slightly increasing the maintenance and operations (M&O) portion from $0.3102 to $0.3164, while decreasing the interest and sinking (I&S) side from $0.1482 to $0.1420.
(courtesy City of Brenham)
No comments came from the public on the budget or tax rate, but Mayor Atwood Kenjura said a vast majority of the 9.42 percent increase in property tax revenue for the city is going toward fire and safety. He also said city employees will receive a 3 percent cost-of-living increase. He said after adding that up, to be able to create a balanced budget and keep the tax rate the same is “remarkable.”
Click here to view the agenda packet for Thursday's meeting.
Ironically, our city “leaders” will pat themselves on the back for keeping the rate the same while they savor the 13.5% increase in money to do with what they please. $107M for this town equates to $6,000 for every man woman and child. Are you getting your money’s worth?
I stand in my front yard. Same house same street with poor drainage. I don’t see where all the money is going. Is my house worth 13% more than last year? I don’t think so. What a crock