Red Oak council adopts FY2025–26 budget, raises tax rate and approves $2025 tax notes

The Red Oak City Council on Aug. 18, 2025, adopted the city’s fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget, approved a property tax rate of $0.695306 per $100 of assessed value, ratified the resulting increase in property tax revenue and authorized the sale of tax notes after a competitive bidding process that yielded a low interest bid from Regions Bank.

Council met in a special called session at 6:30 p.m. at the Red Oak Council Chamber. Mayor Pro Tem Willie Franklin presided; Mayor Stanfield was absent but noted. City staff presented the budget and tax items and Hilltop Securities presented results of the city’s competitive sale of tax notes.

The council adopted Ordinance No. 25-039 to approve the budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025, and ending Sept. 30, 2026. The ordinance was adopted on a recorded roll-call vote with all five council members voting yes (Miller, Franklin, Blake, Smith and Flannery). The council had held a public hearing on the proposed budget on Aug. 11, 2025, and reviewed the document during two budget workshops on July 21 and July 30, 2025. City staff said the budget is based on the…