Stafford mayor outlines 2025 goals as residents press for fiscal details on property tax

Mayor Ken Matthew delivered the City of Stafford's annual state of the city message on Jan. 29, 2025, outlining department accomplishments, capital projects and a stated goal to maintain zero property tax while pledging an efficiency audit and further study of revenue options.

The mayor's presentation listed public-safety, information technology and public-works metrics, including a fire department average response time of 6.13 minutes and a planned General Street Repair Project estimated at $2,000,000. Mayor Matthew said the city's combined fund balance rose from about $14.5 million in fiscal 2021 to roughly $32.5 million in fiscal 2024 and stated, "Our city is not broke," during his remarks.

The numbers matter because the council and residents are weighing whether Stafford should keep its long-standing practice of not levying a municipal property tax. The mayor and several council members said any change would follow further study; residents called for more detail and for the city to explain how services would be funded without a tax.

Mayor Matthew read a prepared message listing department leaders and accomplishments, saying the city had invested in IT upgrades (moving many facilities from single 100-megabit connections to dual 10-gigabit links and adding redundant phone providers) and added firefighter positions and new battalion chiefs. He cited grant and fund-balance figures and repeated the administration's goal to maintain zero property tax in 2025.

Residents who spoke at the public comment portion questioned that stance and asked for clearer fiscal context. One resident said, "Property taxes, they're an ugly thing, objectively," and added that legal and constitutional limits leave cities largely dependent on property and sales taxes. Clippman Nonsa, who identified himself and gave his Fernmeadow Drive address, said: "I'd really like to hear some more detail about how we're going to implement these plans." Joe Longoria, a 52-year resident, asked the council to clarify officials' responsibilities and to publish a multiyear plan.

Several speakers urged the council to explain how the reported fund balance is already committed. A resident told the council that much of the fund balance is encumbered and warned that presenting headline fund-balance figures without context does not show whether the city can afford new equipment or services. Liza Mendonza urged clearer, user-friendly public materials, such as frequently asked questions and improved marketing for city programs.

Council members acknowledged service needs and the fiscal stress. Councilwoman Regina Rosas said, "Human resources, our staff, are our biggest assets," and called for respectful public discourse and better responsiveness to residents. Councilmember Xavier Herrera described recent accomplishments from the parks committee and economic-development efforts and repeated his support for maintaining zero property tax while urging audits and programs to attract new sales tax revenue.

Several council members and the mayor said they support an efficiency audit before making a major revenue decision. Council members announced a revenue-exploration workshop scheduled for Feb. 12 and referenced work on proposals that could include shifting existing revenue streams, exploring special districts and improving business recruitment and sales-tax generation. No ordinance, resolution or vote on property tax was taken at the meeting.

The meeting also included operational details cited by the mayor: an estimated $4.6 million construction project to convert a two-lane asphalt road to a three-lane concrete road (about 2,400 linear feet), issuance of 1,610 building permits in 2024, 5,191 inspections and other public-works activity. Speakers repeatedly urged the council to prioritize drainage and street repairs and to explain how planned projects would be funded.

The council and administration repeatedly thanked city staff for their response to a recent winter storm and for ongoing department work. Mayor Pro Tem Tim Chin and other council members emphasized collaboration with the Stafford Municipal School District and the Stafford Economic Development Corporation on events and facilities, and several members asked residents to bring concrete ideas to the Feb. 12 workshop.

No formal fiscal action occurred at the meeting. Next steps identified publicly were commissioning an efficiency audit and holding the revenue-exploration workshop; any future change to the city's tax policy would require further public meetings and, if applicable, voter approval.