Kennedale — The Kennedale City Council on Aug. 27 adopted the city’s fiscal year 2025–26 budget and approved an accompanying property tax rate of 0.69619 per $100 valuation, the council said at a special budget meeting at Kennedale City Council Chambers. The council also ratified the tax increase used to produce the adopted budget; all actions passed unanimously, 4–0.

Council consideration followed a staff presentation by Director Horton summarizing changes to the proposed budget since an Aug. 5 workshop. The city opened two public hearings — one on the FY2026 budget and one on the proposed tax rate — and received no public comments during either hearing before closing both sessions.

Director Horton told council members the budget’s property tax revenue projection is based on a tax rate of 0.69619 per $100 valuation, with the maintenance and operation portion set at 0.483073 and the interest and sinking (debt) portion at 0.213117. Staff described several line‑item adjustments since the August workshop: a $4,000 net reduction in finance accounts offset in part by a roughly $3,100 increase to cover new collection fees charged by Tarrant County under a three‑year contract (about $1.07 per account, up from roughly $0.80 in FY2025); a $17,006.50 reduction for the fire department; an $11,500 reduction in library processing supplies, office equipment and special services (the RFID project was moved from FY2026 into FY2025); a $1,000 reduction in senior‑center expendable supplies; and a number of smaller adjustments in communications and public works.

Council materials note an $80,000 reduction in the capital replacement fund transfer because a police department vehicle purchase was moved into FY2025 rather than FY2026. Staff also said House Bill 1950 requires a new fund that combines court security and court technology revenues and allows the city to use the combined balance for either type of expense while older funds will remain open until their balances are exhausted.

The city’s Economic Development Corporation budget was increased for building maintenance to $758,405 to reflect a previously discussed remodel, and EDC special‑event funding was increased by $3,000, staff reported.

The council adopted ordinance No. 787, “adopting the budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025, and ending Sept. 30, 2026,” and then ratified the property tax steps that produced the adopted budget. The council later approved ordinance No. 788, “levying municipal ad valorem taxes” at 0.69619 per $100 for the 2025–26 fiscal year. City officials said the rate is lower than the previous rate but will yield increased property tax revenue due to taxable value growth. Each motion passed by unanimous vote, recorded as four yeas and zero nays.

Because no public comments were made during the hearings, council discussion focused on staff’s line‑item explanations and the statutory steps needed to adopt the budget and levy the tax. The ordinances provide for filing and posting the budget as required by state law and include severability and savings clauses.

The council approved the consent agenda earlier in the meeting by unanimous vote; the consent agenda items were not discussed individually at the session. The adopted budget and tax ordinances include effective‑date provisions and directions for required public posting and filing.