Trophy Club patrol board approves FY2026 budget; chiefs outline drones, cameras, vehicles and training

The Trophy Club Scribe Patrol and Prevention District Board voted 5-0 to approve the district’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget following a public hearing at its June 2025 meeting, and heard a presentation from Chief Arata on how new sales-tax revenue would cover planned equipment and program additions.

Chief Arata told the board the district’s share of local sales tax has been revised upward to $430,181 for the coming year, a change he said will allow the department to fund planned purchases without tapping reserves. “We have $430,181 this year to spend,” Chief Arata said, summarizing the revenue picture and its effect on the draft budget.

The budget presentation focused on a package of public-safety investments. The department plans to add a second drone to its aviation program (the presentation identified the model as the EVO Max 4 n), expand use of the Flock license-plate camera system, buy two vehicles and proceed with scheduled taser replacements. Chief Arata described the drone’s features — day and low-light cameras, thermal imaging, automated search and tracking functions, obstacle-avoidance and an estimated 45-minute flight time — and said adding…