Cleburne council adopts FY2026 budget, sets tax rate at $0.612548 per $100 and ratifies revenue increase

The City of Cleburne City Council on Tuesday adopted the fiscal year 2026 budget, voted to set the 2025 ad valorem tax rate at 0.612548 per $100 of assessed value and ratified the property‑tax revenue increase required by state law. Each action passed unanimously following required public hearings and a citizen comment.

During a public hearing on the proposed tax rate, resident Kim Jones urged the council to limit tax increases and encouraged wider civic engagement, saying it is “the hardest thing ever—balancing the needs of the community and the finances that it takes to do it.” Mayor Scott Kane thanked her and described the long‑running structural issues underlying property tax levels, saying, “it is a shame that in the great state of Texas we have to rent from our government,” and noting the city’s portion of an average property tax bill is roughly 23 to 24 percent.

City staff presented the proposed budget and tax rate. The proposed tax rate the council adopted is 0.612548 per $100 of assessed value; staff and the mayor used the state‑required wording and calculations during the motion to set the…