The City of Leon Valley City Council directed staff on Sept. 2 to update the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget to reflect a 0.54 property tax rate and return with final adoption and related notices. The change follows council discussion, consultant recommendations and public comment urging more first responders.

Councilors and the city manager said the move is intended to add three firefighters — one per shift — and related equipment and training. City Manager Dr. Caldera told the council, “this is not my money. It's their money,” and framed the proposal as responding to long‑standing staff and consultant recommendations for added fire staffing.

Why it matters: council members and several public speakers said recent development, higher population density and gaps in local emergency coverage have increased risk and reliance on mutual aid. Supporters said the FY26 budget as originally drafted left little margin and that adding firefighters now avoids an uncertain future if state law further limits cities’ ability to raise revenue.

Most important facts: the city manager estimated that raising the rate to 0.54 would generate roughly $347,483 in additional revenue, producing an average annual tax increase of about $169.30 for the median‑valued homestead cited on the agenda. Councilors discussed lower steps — 0.52 or 0.53 — and the approximate revenue and staffing each would cover (0.52 estimated to yield about $123,789; 0.53 about $235,657). The council voted by motion to update the budget to reflect 0.54 and instructed staff to republish the tax‑impact materials and return with the ordinance and ratification items at the Sept. 16 meeting after required public‑notice steps.

Context and supporting details: staff explained that the city has paid for and received consulting recommendations supporting three additional firefighters and that Leon Valley has not increased fire department staffing since the 1980s. The manager also summarized the city's reserves and capital planning: the proposed budget included a target capital reserve and an emergency fund, and staff noted those reserves were part of the reason the city could consider the staffing additions without issuing new debt. Several residents and council members said they preferred adding firefighters to cutting other services such as the pool contract; others cautioned about the political challenge of raising taxes.

Public comment and next steps: multiple commenters — including residents and neighborhood speakers — told the council they supported the increase for safety reasons. The council instructed staff to update the proposed budget documents and the taxpayer impact statement to reflect the 0.54 rate, publish the updated materials, and bring back ordinance readings and a ratification vote on Sept. 16 (with any required subsequent notice or second reading scheduled as law requires). The council also acknowledged the potential effect of pending state legislation limiting revenue increases and said moving now reduces the risk that voter approval would be required in the future.

Ending: staff will prepare updated budget and tax‑impact materials, republish them on the city's website and re‑notice the ordinance and adoption items for the Sept. 16 council meeting.