Balch Springs presents preliminary 2025–26 budget, keeps tax rate proposal unchanged

Balch Springs officials presented a preliminary 2025–26 budget at a budget workshop Aug. 11 and said the proposed citywide property tax rate will remain the same as last year while staff continues to refine numbers affected by a recent software conversion and a bond sale.

CFO Miss Tan told the council the document presented was preliminary because the city recently moved its budget system to OpenGov and the migration left “kinks” that must be fixed before officials publish final figures. She said the presentation will be updated for the council’s next meeting on Aug. 25.

“We wanted to ensure that we kept the property tax rate the same as last year, and we did that even though we issued debt,” Miss Tan said. She also demonstrated a new online budget simulation that allows users to increase or decrease department budgets and see in real time how changes affect the city’s projected deficit or surplus. “You can increase it, and it'll show you in real time how that affects your budget,” she said.

Key financial points discussed

- Bond proceeds and fund balance: Staff told the council the city sold bonds this morning; the bond proceeds will be recorded as other financing sources received in fiscal 2025 and therefore will appear in FY2025 fund balance rather than as 2026 revenue. Initial materials show roughly $13 million tied to the bond sale,…