BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO HOLD VOTES ON BUDGET & TAX RATE, 170-ACRE ANNEXATION

  

Action on the City of Brenham’s 2025-26 budget and tax rate, as well as the annexation and zoning for roughly 170 acres on the northwest side of town, will be taken up on Thursday by the Brenham City Council. 

First will be a public hearing on the proposed $116.3 million budget, which is estimated to raise an additional $855,418, or 7.81 percent, in property tax revenue when compared to last year’s budget.  Of that amount, the property tax revenue coming from new property on the tax roll this year is $191,678. 

Later, the council will issue its first vote to adopt the budget and levy the proposed tax rate of $0.4676 per $100 valuation.  The rate is higher than the current rate of $0.4584, but it is lower than the no-new-revenue rate of $0.4691.  Breaking down the rate, $0.3256 will go to maintenance and operations (M&O), up $0.0092, and $0.1420 will be for interest and sinking (I&S), unchanged from the existing rate. 

With the new tax rate, combined with an increase in property values, the tax on the average homestead is expected to go up by $90.99, or 7.3 percent.

Other business at Thursday’s meeting will include public hearings on the annexation of 171.79 acres, including 169.42 acres south and west of Dixie Road and north of Sunset Road, 1.6 acres of right-of-way developed as Dixie Road, and an associated 0.778-acre tract.  The annexation is a companion item to another public hearing for rezoning the land as a planned development district to accommodate Stylecraft Builders’ plans for single-family, townhome and multifamily development as an extension of the Vintage Farms subdivision. 

The Brenham Planning and Zoning Commission heard numerous comments from local residents about the matter at its meeting last week, and while the request was still unanimously recommended, commissioners included in their recommendation to require 100 feet of bufferyard separation between the multifamily space and the existing Vintage Farms homes, consisting of at least 20 feet of landscaping and 80 feet that cannot contain any vertical improvements, only flatwork like parking.

Votes on the annexation and planned development district zoning will follow the public hearings.  There will also be a vote on approving a municipal service agreement in relation to the annexation, outlining the city services provided to property owners once the land is annexed.

Also on Thursday, the council will consider:

• A resolution amending the city’s financial policies, raising the competitive procurement threshold from $50,000 to $100,000.  With the change, three vendor quotes, or purchase from a cooperative program, will be required for all purchases between $3,000 and $99,999.  Any purchases of $100,000 or greater will require a formal bid process.  All purchases greater than $50,000 will still require city council authorization.
• A resolution adopting a policy in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Non-Discrimination for City of Brenham facilities and public services.  The city is required to publish a public notice of the organization’s adopted non-discrimination policy, establish a formal complaint process and designate an ADA coordinator to process grievances received.

The council will meet Thursday at 1 p.m. at Brenham City Hall.

Click here to view the agenda packet for Thursday's meeting.