La Marque council adopts 2025–26 budget, holds tax rate, approves $1.892 million wastewater contract and zoning changes

La Marque City Council on Aug. 25 adopted the city’s annual budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025, and ending Sept. 30, 2026, while retaining the current tax rate of 0.39805 and increasing the debt (sinking fund) portion of the rate to 11 cents from 10 cents.

The actions taken at the regularly scheduled meeting also included approval of a $1,892,000 contract to rehabilitate headworks and chemical storage at the city’s wastewater treatment plant, two zoning ordinance amendments that rezoned several parcels to L‑2 industrial, and a set of resolutions to restore interim bank and investment account signatories while the city transitions finance staff.

Why it matters: keeping the tax rate steady while adopting a budget establishes the revenue assumptions for city operations and debt service for the coming year; the wastewater contract addresses a TCEQ mandate and will be paid from previously authorized bond proceeds; the signatory changes restore administrative access to bank and investment accounts that staff said had been lost after personnel changes.

Budget, tax rate and audit City manager Holly told council the proposed tax rate “is the exact same tax rate as you have now,” 0.39805, and that the only change in the split of that rate is an increase in the portion that funds debt from 10 cents to 11 cents to balance the budget. Council adopted the annual budget (ordinance O-2025-0018) on voice vote; the city clerk then recorded the roll‑call: Council member District A — Yes; Council member District B — Yes; Council member District C — No; Council member District D — Yes; Mayor — Yes.

Council also approved the ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for the 2025–26 tax year (ordinance O-2025-0019) on the same roll call (District C recorded as opposed).

On finance oversight, council accepted the draft single audit for fiscal year 2023–24 for purposes of…