Hollywood Park council adopts FY 2025–26 budget and sets tax rate

The Town of Hollywood Park City Council on Sept. 16 adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget and approved a property tax rate of $0.47805 per $100 of valuation after a recorded roll-call vote. The council also passed related ordinances and a resolution ratifying the adopted budget. The budget adoption was presented by the city treasurer and required a special motion and a roll-call vote under the Local Government Code.

The vote to adopt the ordinance approving and adopting the FY25–26 budget passed on a recorded roll call with all members recorded as voting in favor: Council member Rodriguez; Council member Koontz; Council member Randall; Mayor Pro Tem Gonzales; and Council member Pierce. The resolution ratifying the adopted budget and the series of required motions to adopt the tax rate were approved as required by state law.

Council members and the treasurer described the final budget as the product of several weeks of department-level review and effort to reduce an initial projected shortfall. The treasurer reported year-to-date general fund figures through July 31 and a combined cash balance across accounts. Council members said they trimmed multiple departmental line items and emphasized that the town retains roughly six months of operating expenses in reserve, a priority raised during budget deliberations.

Council members stated the trade-offs plainly: keep services and staffing or reduce services/amenities or raise revenue. Several council members said they opposed tax increases in principle but supported this tax rate to maintain core services, police and fire staffing, and planned street improvements. One council member said, "I'm going to vote for the tax increase this year, but unless something major happens, I will not be voting for another one while I'm on council." (Council member Pierce)

The tax-rate ordinance process required three distinct motions under state law; council completed those motions and a recorded vote on the primary ordinance setting the rate at $0.47805 per $100 valuation. The council also voted to adopt the portion of the rate that funds maintenance and operations and the portion that would apply, if any, to debt service; in this instance, the council indicated the town's debts are currently funded through other sources while still complying with state procedural requirements.

The treasurer reported that total revenues in the general fund for July were approximately $368,000 and total expenses for the month approximately $535,000, producing an excess of expenses for that month. For the 10 months ended July 31, the treasurer reported total general fund revenues of about $5.8 million and expenses of about $5.0 million, yielding year-to-date excess revenues. Interest income and combined cash balances were presented in the financial packet provided to council.

Council members also discussed the long-term pressure that rising salary and benefits costs place on future budgets and urged that the town continue building reserves and a multiyear capital plan for items such as vehicles, HVAC and roof replacements, and road projects. The council directed staff to proceed under the adopted budget and to return with any required amendments or follow-up reports.

The council followed the required procedures for adoption and recorded the votes on the ordinance and tax-rate motions. The ordinance adopting the budget and the tax-rate ordinances were entered into the record, and the council then passed a resolution ratifying the adopted FY25–26 budget as required by the Local Government Code.