[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6483624,"mediaKeyId","5604942-0912bbe8693ae40745e29698f3438c36","parentId",5604942,"title","Brownsville commission approves FY26 budget and related measures, selects CMAR for public-safety complex; other ordinances passed","audioSeconds",3899,"startMs",6912000,"endMs",10811000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5604942-0912bbe8693ae40745e29698f3438c36&start=6912&end=10811","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5604942-0912bbe8693ae40745e29698f3438c36/thumbnail_6912000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6483624/Brownsville/Cameron-County/Texas/Brownsville-commission-approves-FY26-budget-and-related-measures-selects-CMAR-for-public-safety-complex-other-ordinances-passed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483624-02da08ba1db268fa4d75f20cd116933f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189101&Signature=Vn-gBeB0hmyhRglQ8RiZ~~GamuBCzRp9159X7m6nv6kfITF1Bx~Vz38Og-Waw5Wj8v55P3EyiYCd5MJPNGOjPp48JFxAfJVPBjq13tgdkNj~HvPVhmpGsQ5KTwkm0NuQFMY9v2afS8dHtHHj43ag0PMAOl2Gr0YWObosQyA8tLDSTvc34t2rvRUtGxD-SYpCubc5mZHTl9kqN19A5-D0KWkvrJTwvHsUNq2qHqC66LMqxRFCuqAHffIn83qt3qetz3crJ1hQITBRE~pxfGbeodzMU~1ozmir9wDthRC7EbxSRgUdJVAFuW0KD4VKXo7vn89Rcqokep7jwUMP00DWDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Brownsville","date","2025-08-20T02:36:21.92Z","article","Brownsville's City Commission took multiple formal actions Aug. 19, including final approval of the city's fiscal year 2026 budget, a roll-call vote to ratify higher property-tax revenue tied to rising appraisals, selection of a construction manager at risk for the public-safety complex, and a number of zoning, annexation and board-appointment votes.

Budget and taxes
City finance staff presented the end-of-year FY2025 budget amendment and the FY2026 proposed budget during the meeting. Finance Director Steven Hughes and staff described surplus sales-tax receipts and fee revenues that allowed onetime allocations, transfers to enterprise funds, and funding for operating needs. The commission voted to approve the FY2025 end-of-year amendment and then approved the FY2026 annual budget in its first reading and final vote.

The city also held the statutorily required separate votes on property-tax matters. The commission voted to ratify that the 2025 property-tax levy would raise more total property-tax revenue than the previous year (a statutory step triggered by higher appraisals). Commissioners then considered the tax-rate motion; after debate a motion to maintain the prior tax rate (0.603504) passed by roll call.

Public-safety complex procurement
On a separate action the commission selected Noble Texas Builders as the construction manager at risk (CMAR) for the Brownsville public-safety complex (RFQ/RFP process described by procurement staff). Procurement staff recommended an initial contract phase covering preconstruction, general conditions and CMAR fee, totaling $5,034,677, and sought authority to negotiate amendments up to a project threshold of $80 million; the commission approved the selection and authorized staff to finalize contract terms and subsequent CMAR-related change orders within the stated threshold.

Land use and development votes
The commission took multiple land-use votes and procedural actions included in the meeting record:
- Annexation: Approved first-reading annexation of a 5-acre tract on J. Clive Drive (Cavazos Road area) following a public hearing.
- Rezoning approvals: The commission approved several rezoning ordinances on first/final reading to permit developments including a multifamily project on Southmost Boulevard and single-family and duplex rezonings at specified locations; one rezoning (item 12, Dennett Road area) was tabled for follow-up and community outreach.

Boards and budgets
The commission adopted the BCIC and GBIC budgets for FY2026 after presentations by those organizations and approved several board and advisory-committee appointments, including members to the Board of Adjustment and the Animal Regulation and Care Advisory Committee.

Other formal actions
Other recorded motions included: approval of consent-agenda items (with several items pulled for separate consideration), approval of revised minutes, and authorization for the city manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with the Ferguson Group (federal advocacy) following an executive-session briefing. A letter of intent with the United Soccer League (USL) was also approved after executive session.

Why it matters: The FY2026 budget and the tax-related ratification determine the city's spending and revenue baseline for operating services and capital projects. Approving a CMAR for the public-safety complex moves design into procurement and construction planning; zoning and annexation votes shape where development and infrastructure will be built.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Commission Meeting 08/19/2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its Aug. 19 meeting the Brownsville City Commission approved the city's FY2026 operating and capital budgets, adopted a measure ratifying increased property-tax revenue, selected Noble Texas Builders as construction manager at risk for the new public-safety complex, and took multiple land-use and board-appointment actions.","taxTitle","Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas","taxId",2775,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6483629,"Brownsville staff urges $150 million debt sale to protect 2026 capital program if state caps COs",650,1748000,2398000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5604942-0912bbe8693ae40745e29698f3438c36&start=1748&end=2398","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5604942-0912bbe8693ae40745e29698f3438c36/thumbnail_1748000.jpg","/articles/6483629/Brownsville/Cameron-County/Texas/Brownsville-staff-urges-150-million-debt-sale-to-protect-2026-capital-program-if-state-caps-COs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483629-8cabcd10af3b5fa08868527d7e0f0513/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189101&Signature=DDFmqiQ2zQwRcpwLwrgcS0BAqVzO1i6OwILve6s7esnpqJbsEPHLpH1JYSjP5Xr0uWqG8D7~T5GcPAi7vrbASFzMT1oy57lVYTq4Bnmn0TrLNADJI0s4EdkA4Lv4wepTjUTbDUFc3tLonhTRgPD~Tf1p0a3xD~sjYZzGxsYjzdM9iENnz~5IfAVcWBWEdoXKfwPQ84C8I2JvM~IHaMv5xkP1bFUYleGOuiA47y-a6AA0gd41mBNDFCv44NYBWYaf7mGDkgVtQsalUimPCQwU52kUr0ML7HZiKRdcQ0~EiiXb4ey6XyZ0YlJJa-73IdGoTbo1t9dpFLe~yoSRfQi-iA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer Alan Guard told the City Commission on Aug. 19 that proposed state legislation likely to cap certificates of obligation (COs) would force the city to change how it schedules its 2026 capital-improvement program (CIP). Guard recommended selling $150 million in debt now under a “scenario B” so the city can match time-sensitive grants and complete high-priority projects.

Guard said the bill under consideration in the Texas Legislature would cap CO issuances at 20% of prior-year property tax revenue, which for Brownsville would amount to about $14,800,000 this year — far short of the $45 million to $50 million per year the city had planned. “It’s very difficult for us to start building a $70,000,000 building when we know we’re only gonna get $15,000,000 a year,” Guard said.

The proposal affects a five-year CIP the commission approved in 2024 that included design and construction funding for a public safety complex, runway reconstruction, hybrid bus purchases, street reconstruction (including Fourteenth Street, Coffeeport Road and Old Alice), trail and park projects, and downtown renovations. Guard described three pressures that prompted the revised timing: the proposed CO cap, inflation and construction cost escalation, and new, award-winning TxDOT grants totaling about $28 million that require roughly $5.6 million in local matching funds and prompt earlier work on design and right-of-way.

Under Guard’s “scenario A” (no legislative cap), the city would continue its previously planned annual CO issuance of about $45 million to $50 million. Under “scenario B” (assumes the cap will pass), staff’s recommendation is to sell $150 million now, apply roughly $70 million of that to the public safety complex, accelerate matches for TxDOT and FAA grants, and then sell roughly $13 million–$15 million per year in subsequent years to continue the program. Guard said the accelerated sale would let the city secure grant matches and avoid multiyear inflation exposure on large projects. “We would be able to fund the majority of the program. We’d be able to get the public safety facility done,” he said.

Guard said the public-safety project includes police department space, the emergency operations center and fire administration; the airport projects and runway funding remain unchanged in both scenarios. He said some less urgent projects — notably replacement of Fire Stations 1 and 2 — would likely be pushed beyond the five-year horizon under the constrained scenario. Guard also raised traffic-management projects won from TxDOT that include signal synchronization and noted the city’s match will be larger than construction-only grant dollars because the city must pay engineering and design costs.

Commissioners asked about timing, local tax-rate impacts and construction-price risk. Guard said Moody’s affirmed the city’s AA3 stable rating and that the modeled local interest-and-sinking rate (I&S) would not need an increase this year but could rise “about 1–2¢ next year,” depending on assessed-value growth. He added the city had already sold about $6 million for early design work on the public-safety complex and planned to hire a construction manager at risk at the next meeting.

Why it matters: the city is balancing near-term grant-driven construction opportunities against new state-level limits that would constrain Brownsville’s traditional five-year borrowing plan. Selling more debt now would increase near-term debt service and require higher annual I&S in later years, but would allow essential projects and grant-funded work to proceed on schedule.

What’s next: staff said it will schedule a special work session focused on streets and drainage; staff proposed a Tuesday 4 p.m. meeting to drill into road priorities and timing. Guard also asked the commission to weigh the two scenarios and gave a nod to scheduling a separate, more detailed CIP workshop.

","City staff outlined two 2026 capital-improvement program scenarios and recommended a $150 million up-front certificate of obligation sale to preserve high-priority projects — notably a $70 million public safety complex — if proposed state legislation limits future CO issuances.","actionData","errors"]

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Brownsville commission approves FY26 budget and related measures, selects CMAR for public-safety complex; other ordinances passed

Brownsville staff urges $150 million debt sale to protect 2026 capital program if state caps COs