Farmers Branch schedules final budget vote; council debates placement of $2.3 million year‑end surplus and landfill closure funding

City of Farmers Branch City Council opened a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 operating and capital improvement program budget and scheduled a final vote for Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

The hearing linked the proposed budget to council priorities including public safety, infrastructure, economic development and neighborhoods, and staff outlined the city’s multi‑year financial forecasts and transparency efforts. City Manager Ben Williamson said the proposed budget will be presented for adoption at the Sept. 16 meeting and described the budget process used to get to the hearing stage.

The hearing matters because council must adopt the budget and set the tax rate before the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, and members used the meeting to begin deciding how to allocate roughly $2.3 million in unassigned, one‑time surplus from the current fiscal year.

Council members discussed multiple options for the one‑time funds, including directing money to the capital improvement project (CIP) fund, specific park projects (Mercer Park and Squire Park), a columbarium at Kenan Cemetery, the proposed fitness park at the Justice Center, economic development, and the demo‑rebuild housing program. Council members also raised the option of leaving the money as unassigned fund balance to allow more time to prioritize projects.

A central point of the discussion was the city’s landfill closure and post‑closure fund. Council members and staff noted the city has set a target balance of about $38 million to cover landfill closure and 30 years of required post‑closure monitoring and maintenance; staff said the plan to reach that target is intended to take about 20 years and to be funded gradually through a trash/recycling fee on the utility bill. City staff warned that once money is placed in the landfill closure fund it is restricted for closure/post‑closure purposes and cannot be transferred to parks or other projects without council action and a review of the ordinances that established the restriction.

Councilmembers differed on priorities. Some favored placing $1 million or more into the CIP to address needed infrastructure, and recommended allocating amounts for a columbarium and park improvements; others advocated directing significant funds to the landfill closure reserve. Several members suggested leaving the entire $2.3 million in the general fund as unassigned fund balance until the council finalizes project priority decisions.

Council scheduled a formal vote to adopt the budget and ratify the tax revenue reflected in the budget for Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. A motion to schedule that vote passed during the meeting.

Clarifying details from the hearing: staff reported an estimated year‑end one‑time surplus of about $2,300,000; the landfill closure target balance cited on a staff slide is approximately $38,000,000; the landfill closure plan spans roughly 20 years; staff noted that budget funds for water, sewer and stormwater are supported by utility fees and are debt‑free; in an informational video staff stated the city treats about 5,000,000 gallons of wastewater and delivers up to 10,000,000 gallons of potable water daily.

What happens next: staff will hold the budget adoption vote on Sept. 16 and will follow council direction on whether to assign the one‑time surplus to specific projects or leave it as unassigned fund balance pending further council decisions and presentations (for example, Mercer Park follow‑up).