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Glenn Heights council debates step increases, one‑time purchases as budget goes to first reading
Summary
City Manager Clifford Blackwell presented the proposed FY2025–26 budget; council spent extensive time on step increases for employees, one‑time equipment purchases and supplemental requests. First reading and public hearings were held; the council postponed the tax‑rate adoption vote until Sept. 9, voting 6‑0 to set the continuation meeting.
City Manager Clifford Blackwell presented the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget at the council's first reading, and councilmembers spent more than an hour debating salary step increases, one‑time equipment purchases and department supplemental requests.
Blackwell told the council the combined operating funds total roughly $34,400,000 in revenue offset by about $34,000,000 in expenditures, leaving a net surplus of approximately $310,000. He said capital projects total about $10.3 million with $3.7 million of inflows planned to help offset costs. Blackwell also presented a proposed tax rate of $0.562795 per $100 of assessed value (the voter‑approval/no‑new‑revenue rate) and explained the differences between the maintenance-and-operations and interest-and-sinking components.
Councilmembers debated how to use the roughly $361,000 of budgetary margin. Options presented in exhibits and during discussion included: - Funding step increases for all employees (listed as an estimated $231,010 for step increases across all funds); - Targeted moves to raise police and fire pay toward market (figures cited included roughly $209,867 to fully fund certain market adjustments and $439,000 to move police and fire from about 90% to 100% of market); - One‑time purchases paid from fund balance such as expanded concrete street repairs, a large capacity firewall, public‑safety equipment (tasers), and grounds equipment; and - Adding positions such as a fire marshal, dispatchers, grounds maintenance worker(s) and a property‑room technician with options to prorate start dates.
Councilmembers repeatedly said they supported employee pay increases but differed on scope and timing. Councilman Garrett urged finding room in the budget to avoid delaying hires and equipment, arguing, “we're gonna budget it now. We're gonna pay it later.” Several councilmembers and the city manager recommended using fund balance for one‑time purchases while prioritizing step increases for employees, particularly police, fire and public works to aid retention.
The council opened and closed the required public hearing on the budget ordinance (Ordinance O‑14‑27) during the meeting; no public comments were offered. The tax‑rate ordinance (Ordinance O‑15‑25) likewise was presented and placed in a public hearing; following the hearing the council voted 6‑0 to postpone the formal adoption of the property tax rate until a special council meeting at 7 p.m. on Sept. 9, 2025, to allow time for updated revenue/expense forecasts and final decisions.
City staff committed to provide an updated year‑end revenue and expense forecast by 5 p.m. the next day to inform council direction. Councilmembers asked staff to explore multi‑year approaches to closing market gaps and to return with proration options and cost impacts for the preferred combination of step increases and hires.
