Lewisville outlines FY2025–26 budget with lower tax rate, utility hike and $70M for police and fire

Matt, a City of Lewisville staff member and the outreach host, toured residents through the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 general fund budget during a public "Lewisville Lyft" outreach event and summarized the package’s major items: a proposed general fund of about $143,000,000, a reduced property tax rate of 0.419009, a 7.4% utility-bill increase, and significant public-safety and infrastructure spending.

Why it matters: The City is asking residents to review a proposal that would change the city’s tax and utility charges and direct funding to public safety, street infrastructure and parks; the City Council is scheduled to vote on the proposed general fund budget and the tax rate in September. Those votes will determine whether the proposals move forward.

City staff presented several headline figures during the outreach. Matt said the proposed general fund totals $143,000,000 and that the proposed property tax rate is 0.419009, lower than last year and described in the presentation as the lowest in more than 30 years. Using that rate, the presentation estimated the typical homeowner would pay about $1,607 in city property taxes for the year, which the host said is roughly $134 per month in city taxes. The presentation also noted a proposed 7.4% increase in utility rates that, according to staff, is intended to fund water and sewer infrastructure updates; staff said there is no increase proposed for the stormwater fee in the coming year.

Public safety funding and equipment: Staff said the proposed general fund includes about $70,000,000 for police and fire. An unnamed police official described planned technology upgrades, saying, “Louisville Police Department has a lot of upgrades to our Axon system this year. That includes our body worn cameras, our in car cameras, our taser systems. We're also adding new drones to our fleet,” and that the department will add two lieutenants and a research-and-development position to oversee police technology.

An unnamed EMS/fire official said the budget would pay to replace eight LUCAS devices used on ambulances for automated chest compressions and to purchase an underwater remotely operated vehicle with sonar, camera, lights and a grab arm to support dive-team operations. “We’ll be using the funding this year to replace 8 of our LUCAS devices on our ambulances,” the official said.

Infrastructure, parks and connectivity: Staff said the budget includes $4,000,000 for street-light and traffic-signal infrastructure, including funds for new signals and signal-software upgrades. The presentation also highlighted $71,000 earmarked to expand free Wi‑Fi in parks that are part of the city’s “10-minute walk to a park” initiative; staff said the plan is to add five additional parks and to leverage 5G with solar-powered access points to provide flexible backhaul options that may reduce the need for fiber or power at every location. An unnamed city IT staff member explained the connectivity approach, saying 5G and solar access points “give us the flexibility to not necessarily have to use fiber or have to have power for this backhaul.”

Arts and facilities: The outreach noted at least $1,500,000 set aside for renovations at the Lewisville Grand Theater. An unnamed theater official described the planned work as “home refresh upgrades” including a refreshed concession stand, additional technology in the recital hall and black box, new dressing-room surfaces and storage, upgraded lighting in the performance hall and a new storage facility behind the theater.

Process and upcoming votes: During the outreach, staff told participants the City Council is expected to vote on the proposed general fund budget at the regular council meeting on Monday, Sept. 8, and on the proposed tax rate at the regular council meeting on Monday, Sept. 15. No formal council action on the proposals occurred during the outreach event; the presentation was informational and intended to encourage public review before the scheduled votes.

What staff did not specify: The presentation did not list the prior year’s tax rate value for direct comparison, the precise stormwater revenue impact beyond saying the stormwater fee would not increase, nor a detailed funding breakdown for every line item. The outreach format was a public engagement tour and not a council meeting with motions or votes.

How to review the budget: Staff directed attendees to the city’s annual budget page and a QR code shown during the event for the full proposed FY2025–26 general fund budget.