Brentwood commission approves budget, keeps tax rate steady, OKs utility rate increases and veterans committee

The Brentwood City Commission voted unanimously at its June meeting to approve first readings of the fiscal 2025–26 appropriation ordinance and an ordinance setting the city's property tax rate, to adopt increases to water and sewer rates, to create a veterans memorial ad hoc committee and to pass a package of consent resolutions and appointments.

The appropriation ordinance now on first reading would set spending and capital investments for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2025; staff said the ordinance covers $121,427,977 in total appropriations with $55 million in capital projects and a general-fund revenue estimate of $57,302,400. The commission voted to advance the ordinance; final adoption is scheduled for the June 23 meeting.

In the same action, the commission set the city's effective property tax rate at 0.1925 — the rate staff said is the adjusted rate that would yield roughly the same property-tax revenue as the prior year after Williamson County's 2025 reappraisal. Staff told the commission the county reappraisal produced an average increase of 50.59% in appraised value; keeping the effective rate means overall city property tax revenue is expected to be stable, though individual taxpayer bills will vary with each new appraisal.

The commission also approved on first reading an ordinance updating monthly water and sewer rates. Staff said water rates would increase 2.5% in 2026 and annually thereafter, while wastewater rates would rise 5% in 2026 and each year thereafter through 2029, dropping to 2.5% in 2030. Staff and commissioners said the larger sewer increases reflect the city's decision to advance a $22 million-plus sewer equalization tank project (described by staff as an acceleration of previously planned capital work) to reduce overflow risks and better manage peak flows. City staff explained the water and sewer utility must be self-supporting and cannot be subsidized by tax revenues.

The commission unanimously approved a resolution creating a Brentwood Veterans Memorial Ad Hoc Committee. The committee will consist of eight members (six Brentwood residents, one city commissioner and one historic-commission representative). Applications will be accepted beginning May 28 through noon June 12 with selection by the commission on June 23. The committee will solicit public and veterans-group input, develop design options and cost estimates, and recommend a plan for funding and schedule; staff said an aggressive target would be completion by the end of 2026 but that schedule is subject to change.

The meeting also passed a 12-item consent agenda that included accepting certain streets as public, amendments to development plans for multiple subdivisions, and authorizations for on-call stormwater engineering services and other purchases. The full list of consent resolutions and routine procurement approvals was adopted unanimously.

Commissioners also approved mayoral and commission appointments to boards and regional committees and confirmed a commissioner appointment to the library board to fill an unexpired term.

Next steps: final votes on budget and the rates ordinances are scheduled for June 23; the veterans committee application window closes at noon on June 12 and the commission will select members on June 23.