City Council Prioritizes Alexander Village Development and Infrastructure Funding

The Balch Springs Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Type A Board convened on August 18, 2025, to discuss key financial commitments and project priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. The meeting focused primarily on the Alexander Village project, a significant development initiative adjacent to City Hall.

The session began with a review of the city’s revenue and expenditure graph, highlighting that sales tax constitutes 99% of the EDC's revenue, with interest making up the remaining 1%. Expenditures were detailed as 82% for transfers, 7% for administrative costs, and 11% for economic development. The board emphasized that these transfers would fluctuate based on project adjustments.

The Alexander Village development was identified as the main priority, with a financial commitment of $1.2 million allocated for the current fiscal year and an additional $300,000 earmarked for the next fiscal year. This funding is intended for essential infrastructure, particularly the Alexander Collector Road. Other projects, such as Lakeside and the Lake June and Ranchway intersection, were mentioned, with plans to seek alternative funding sources for these initiatives.

The board projected an ending fund balance of $2.2 million for the fiscal year 2025, which would decrease to $1.6 million by the end of fiscal year 2026 after accounting for planned expenditures. Discussions included the importance of balancing the budget moving forward, with a goal to avoid further depletion of the fund balance in subsequent years.

Board members raised questions regarding the sustainability of the current financial strategy, particularly concerning the reliance on the fund balance for project funding. The consensus was to focus on the Alexander Village project while maintaining a conservative approach to budgeting, with hopes of stabilizing the budget by fiscal year 2027.

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the board's commitment to economic development for Balch Springs residents, emphasizing the long-term vision for the Alexander Village project, which has been in planning since 2015. The board aims to enhance both sales tax and property tax revenues through the successful completion of this development.