The Kennedale City Council adopted the city’s fiscal year 2025–26 budget and approved a property tax rate of $0.69619 per $100 valuation during a special budget meeting Aug. 27 in Kennedale City Council Chambers.

The council approved Ordinance No. 787, adopting the budget that begins Oct. 1, 2025 and ends Sept. 30, 2026, and later approved Ordinance No. 788 levying the city’s ad valorem tax at 0.69619 per $100. The council also ratified the property tax increase used to generate the adopted budget as the second of three statutorily required steps.

City staff said the proposed property tax revenue in the adopted budget is based on the 0.69619 rate, with the maintenance and operations portion at 0.483073 and the interest and sinking (debt) portion at 0.213117 per $100 valuation. Director Horton summarized changes since an Aug. 5 workshop that primarily reallocated existing funds and adjusted timing for several projects and purchases.

Key budget adjustments described by staff included an increase of $1,000 in special events, a $4,000 net reduction across several finance accounts paired with a $3,100 increase to cover new Tarrant County collection fees (cited as $1.07 per account under a new three-year contract, up from about $0.80 previously), a $17,006.50 reduction in the fire department budget, a $1,000 reduction for the senior center’s expendable supplies, and a $11,500 reduction in the library budget because an RFID project was moved into FY2025. Communications saw a $3,500 reduction, and public works had unspecified nondepartmental reductions. The capital replacement fund transfer was reduced by $80,000 because a police vehicle purchase was moved into the FY2025 year rather than FY2026. The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) building maintenance budget was increased to $758,405 to cover a remodel discussed at a prior meeting, and special events funding for the EDC was increased by $3,000.

Staff also said House Bill 1950 requires a new combined fund for court security and court technology; the new fund will consolidate those uses while the prior separate funds (identified by staff as funds 12 and 16) will remain open until their balances are exhausted.

The council voted on Ordinance No. 787 by roll call; the record shows a unanimous vote, four yeas and zero nays. The ratification of the property tax increase passed by voice vote, and the tax levy Ordinance No. 788 passed by roll call, also unanimously. The adopted budget includes standard provisions for emergency expenditures, required filing and posting under state law, a severability clause and an effective date. Council members recorded in the roll calls were Place 1, Council Member David Glover; Place 2, Council Member Thelma Cobec; Mayor Pro Tem Place 3, Kenneth Michaels; and Place 5, Council Member Jeff Neuraz.

No members of the public signed up to speak during either public hearing on the budget or the tax rate; both hearings were opened and closed at the meeting with no public comment.

The city manager and other staff were present for questions; staff reminded the council that specific statutory language was required for the motions to adopt the ordinances. Council discussion at the meeting consisted primarily of staff explanations of line-item adjustments and confirmations of the tax-rate components; no amendments to the proposed budget or tax rate were made during the session.

The budget adoption and tax-levy ordinances are effective as provided in the texts adopted at the meeting. Staff noted the ratification was the second of three required actions to finalize the tax rate, and staff will proceed with the remaining statutory steps and required notices after the meeting.