Wimberley City Council met in a special session July 17 to review staff’s preliminary FY2025–26 budget, proposed fee schedule changes and a set of council goals. Mayor Jim Charles opened the 4 p.m. meeting; City staff member Mister Patek led the budget presentation.

The presentation proposed moving the community center budget from the general fund into the parks fund, increasing retirement contributions for full‑time employees from 5% to 6% and including a 3% cost‑of‑living adjustment for full‑time staff. Patek said, “we think we’ve come up with a very outside the box kind of thinking budget this year,” and noted the proposal is “contingent on our fee schedule being increased.”

City leaders said the draft budget shows lower total general‑fund revenue for FY2025–26 compared with FY2023–24, largely because the community center line items were moved into parks and certain one‑time grant income from the prior period is not repeated. Staff told the council that a GLO grant and other one‑time receipts accounted for much of the prior period’s higher total. Council members pressed staff for clearer line‑item reconciliation and asked staff to return with full month‑end numbers for easier annualization.

Most significant budget details and staff proposals

- Fees and Blue Hole (swim area): Staff proposed a roughly $10 across‑the‑board increase for many community center fees and specific increases at the Blue Hole: day passes raised (examples discussed included adult gate increases and a proposed $12→$15 adult day pass; youth/adult tier increases were described in the presentation). Season memberships were proposed to go up by $25 per pass. Staff emphasized resident rates would not change; higher fees target nonresident visitors.

- Community center reallocation and shortfall: Staff said community center operations total roughly $253,100 (including salaries); typical earned revenue at the center is shown around $85,000. Council members expressed concern about budget alignment because salaries for community‑center employees remain in the general fund while the center’s revenue and operating expense lines would be carried in the parks fund. Staff described the parks fund absorbing the net operating loss if the reallocation proceeds.

- Roads and public works: At council request staff included a $500,000 line item for roads (up from a prior $300,000 figure) plus $75,000 for routine maintenance and pothole patching.

- Personnel and organization: The organizational chart presented shows 17 full‑time positions, nine regular part‑time positions and approximately 23 seasonal positions (total about 49). Staff noted one proposed part‑time regular hire in parks is contingent on a possible contract with Texas State for a short program.

- Wastewater and utilities: Staff described modest wastewater rate adjustments intended to offset recent lift‑station repair costs (staff estimated typical increases of about 10–15% depending on consumption). For water, some meter and service fees were rounded up (examples included increases of $10 on some 3/4‑inch service charges and a proposed reconnect fee increase from $50 to $75).

- Hotel occupancy tax and tourism: Hot tax receipts were projected lower in the draft — staff estimated a drop from about $773,000 to approximately $725,000 in the coming year, attributed in part to properties leaving the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.

- Grants, ARPA and capital projects: Staff noted FY2024 grant receipts (including a GLO grant discussed in the presentation) that affect year‑to‑year comparisons. ARPA‑funded projects remain active; staff reported TxDOT review delays on an ARPA‑eligible sidewalk segment and reminded council the ARPA obligation deadline is December 2026. Staff also reported an invoice adjustment on the Oak Drive capital project appearing in the capital projects fund (staff identified an invoice of roughly $31,743 reported after project closeout).

- Contract and service cost changes: Staff flagged an expected increase in the county contract labor line (from about $36,000 to roughly $60,000) tied primarily to county health inspection and food safety services.

Fee‑schedule and housekeeping changes

Staff reviewed specific fee schedule changes being proposed for council consideration: a $200 sign‑variance fee, removal of the “parking in lieu” fee from the schedule, modest audiovisual rental increases, Blue Hole pass and picnic‑table pricing adjustments, and utility fee rounding. Staff also noted a previously approved $42,000 refund for parking‑space purchasers is reflected in the current year and will not recur in the FY2025–26 budget.

Next steps and council direction

Councilmembers asked staff to return with end‑of‑month financials so annualization is easier, requested clearer line‑by‑line reconciliations that show where the roughly $400,000 year‑to‑year revenue change is occurring, and asked for more detailed parks/community‑center budget alignment (specifically separating salaries and operating costs so the council can see revenue‑to‑expense relationships). Staff said they will bring back revised exhibits, the proposed fee schedule in final form and additional detail on the parks reallocation at future hearings. No formal action or vote was taken during the July 17 meeting; the council left the matter open for additional review and public hearings.

Ending

Councilmembers and staff agreed there will be more public hearings on the budget; staff will provide requested reconciliations and more complete month‑end figures before the council considers any final budget adoption or fee ordinance changes.