Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the City Budget Fees topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City Council approves FY26 operating and capital budgets, adopts property tax first readings and approves several fee and appointment items
Summary
At a regular meeting the council advanced first readings on the FY26 operating and capital budgets, approved a property tax rate on first reading and ratified the tax increase; it also approved animal shelter fee changes, airport parking and Sunrise Beach RV Park fee adjustments and completed multiple board and committee appointments.
The Corpus Christi City Council voted on several budget and ordinance items including the first readings of the FY26 operating and capital budgets and a first reading to set the property tax rate for fiscal year 2026.
Budget and tax Amy Cowley, director of Management and Budget, presented the FY26 proposed operating budget, saying the total proposed operating budget is $1,600,000,000 with $944,000,000 in operating and $692,600,000 in capital. Cowley said the proposal includes no tax-rate adjustments (the tax rate was presented separately), a proposed water, wastewater and stormwater rate adjustments, and total proposed general-fund revenues of $341,703,752 with general-fund expenses of $346,756,839. Cowley said the proposed budget includes restoration of a constituent relations coordinator position.
The council approved the first reading of the FY26 operating budget; a second reading and final vote was scheduled for Sept. 9. Cedric Gaviosana, Director of Finance and Procurement, presented the property tax proposal and recommended a tax rate of 0.599774 per $100 valuation — a 0.23% increase over the no-new-revenue rate. Council approved first reading of that tax rate. Later the council passed an ordinance ratifying that property tax increase and recognizing the city will collect $6,061,319 more property-tax revenue than in FY25 (the motion carried on the ratification ordinance).
Public comment on the budget included library advocates urging stronger funding. Julie Rogers, a District 1 resident, told council: "Do not defund our libraries," and asked for continued support for early-literacy programs. Budget documents presented by staff showed the library budget increasing slightly from about $6.2 million in FY25 to about $6.5 million in FY26, and a $2 million bond-funded facility improvement at La Retama library.
Capital budget Council approved first reading of the FY26 capital budget, which staff described as year 1 appropriations of a 10-year capital improvement plan totaling about $764 million and funded primarily by revenue bonds, general obligation bonds, grants and Type A/B economic development funds.
Fees, rates and appointments - Animal Care Services: Council approved an ordinance updating fees in the animal code including raising daily boarding from $10 to $15, first impound from $30 to $50, second impound to $75 and adding a third-occurrence impound of $150. Staff projected an estimated $24,510 increase to general revenues. Kathleen Chapa, director of Animal Care Services, presented the item; the motion carried.
- Airport parking: The council approved an increase in short-term and covered parking at Corpus Christi International Airport from $13 to $15 per hour under a planned five-year rate structure. Kimberly Miller, assistant director for the airport, said the change aligns airport rates with comparable regional airports. Motion carried.
- Sunrise Beach RV Park: Corpus Christi Water presented a five-year fee plan for Sunrise Beach RV Park to better cover operating costs and planned capital improvements including restroom upgrades and a proposed boat ramp in later years. The council approved the ordinance. Nick Winkelman presented the item.
- Appointments: The council completed multiple board and commission appointments across Type A/Type B economic development boards, the Ethics Commission, the Marina Advisory Committee and the Water, Shore and Beach Advisory Committee. Specific appointees named in the meeting packet and announced in council included reappointments and new appointments; motions to appoint carried where noted.
Why this matters: The first readings on the operating and capital budgets and the property tax readings set the framework for FY26 revenues and spending; the fee changes and appointments affect municipal services and local boards that govern economic development and utilities oversight.
Next steps: Second readings on the budgets and tax rate are scheduled for the Sept. 9 council meeting; staff will implement fee changes and follow standard appointment onboarding processes.
