Bruceville‑Eddy adopts FY2025‑26 budget, raises tax rate and approves utility pay increase

The City Council of Bruceville‑Eddy unanimously adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget and approved a property tax rate of $0.47 per $100 of assessed value, which the city said represents an effective 4.6% increase in the tax rate. The council also ratified the property‑tax revenue increase reflected in the adopted budget and approved a pay adjustment for the city's utility clerks.

City Administrator Kent Manton summarized the budget and asked the council to adopt ordinance O8‑18‑2025‑1 to approve the General, Water, Sewer, Economic Development Corporation, Street Maintenance, and Hotel Occupancy Tax funds. Council then voted to adopt the budget with a condition to increase utility clerks' pay "to coincide with the pay raise provided to the rest of the public works department that being a 3% COLA and then an additional $1.50 an hour raise," language the council added to the motion.

During the public hearing on the budget, residents offered competing views about reserves and spending. Danielle McGurr of 215 Hungry Hill said, "I don't wanna see them always go into a savings account. I understand that we do need a reasonable amount of savings for our city, but at the same time, we can't only be saving. We have to be using them, and I'd love to see my taxes actually go to something that I can see." Council members responded that the city maintains reserves for unplanned costs and pointed to recent litigation and contract disputes as reasons for prudence.

Councilman Wiggins noted a recent payment dispute with contractor BlackRock Construction, saying the city faced "over $1,250,000" in additional costs and that savings allowed the city to manage the obligation without immediate fiscal crisis. City staff described the BlackRock matter as a contract language dispute among the city, its engineers and attorneys, and BlackRock and its counsel.

Budget committee decisions discussed in the meeting included an $80,000 reduction removing a proposed tractor with cab and shredder from the draft budget after department heads said existing equipment could suffice; council members also noted a line item for a $50,000 metal storage building that staff suggested could be avoided by using interior space in the police department or the Family Life Center for the Blue Santa program. Council also noted a planned replacement vehicle for maintenance that remains in the budget but can be deferred if needed.

On tax matters, City Administrator Manton read the motion to adopt the tax rate. The council adopted ordinance O8‑18‑2025‑2 levying the property tax rate at $0.47 per $100 valuation, then ratified the property tax revenue increase so the budget and tax levy align for FY2025‑26 (Oct. 1, 2025–Sept. 30, 2026). All votes on the budget, tax rate and ratification were recorded as unanimous in the meeting.

The council recessed into executive session later in the meeting to discuss a water‑service legal matter (1185 Bruceville Lane, Falls County Road 436) under Texas Government Code section 551.071; the council reconvened and announced no action was taken in open session on that executive session item.