Bedford proposes FY2025–26 budget that would raise tax rate to fund employee COLA, public-safety step increases

Bedford Assistant City Manager Karen Riggs on Aug. 7 presented a proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget that would raise the city’s property tax rate to the voter‑approval level to help pay for employee compensation adjustments and public‑safety step plan changes.

Riggs told the council the proposal includes a 3% across‑the‑board pay increase for employees and a 30% non‑retroactive cost‑of‑living adjustment (COLA) in the Texas Municipal Retirement System that would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. “We did a 3% for all employees,” Riggs said; she added the TMRS item is “30% non retroactive TMRS COLA, which means that it goes into effect 01/01/2026.”

Why it matters: the council was shown that moving to the voter‑approval tax rate — a roughly three‑cent increase described in the presentation — would generate about $1.3 million across the property‑tax funds and roughly $1.2 million for the general fund. Riggs said the TMRS COLA would add roughly $400,000 to the general fund on an ongoing basis. Council members and staff repeatedly emphasized the budget choices are intended to preserve service levels while addressing recruitment and retention.

Key details and context

- Taxes and…