Decatur council adopts FY2026 budget, sets tax rate and approves development- and use-permits

The Decatur City Council voted unanimously Aug. 26 to adopt a balanced fiscal 2026 budget, set the city’s property tax rate and approve a bundle of land‑use and special‑use ordinances.

At a public hearing the council considered the city’s proposed FY2026 budget and the accompanying property-tax rate. Staff presented the same budget material reviewed at the prior meeting and summarized the key figures: total certified taxable value for FY2026 of $1,495,281,000, a proposed property tax rate of 0.565713 per $100 of assessed value (about one penny lower than the prior year's rate of 0.577551), and an increase in projected maintenance-and-operations (M&O) revenue of $471,973. Staff said general fund revenues were budgeted at $17.765 million with expenses projected at $17.764 million; water and sewer and debt service accounts were also addressed in the presentation.

Council voted on multiple ordinances and a resolution in the legislative portion of the meeting: the second reading and adoption of the FY2026 budget ordinance and the city ad valorem tax ordinance; a resolution ratifying the property‑tax revenue increase reflected in…