Harlingen commissioners approve city budget, multiple land-use measures and several service contracts

The Harlingen City Commission took a slate of budget, land-use and project actions at its meeting, approving the citybudget for fiscal year 2026 on first reading by record vote, setting proposed tax rates for the coming fiscal year, and approving a series of ordinances and professional-services contracts.

The commission approved the FY2026 budget on first reading; the finance presentation listed proposed revenues of $119,595,005.78 and proposed expenditures of $117,000,534,130. Commissioners said the budget prioritizes drainage work, public-safety personnel costs and airport operations. The item was advanced by record vote and the second and final reading of the tax ordinance was scheduled for Sept. 3.

On the tax-rate item the commission set the maintenance-and-operations rate at 0.458038 per $100 of assessed value and the interest-and-sinking (debt) rate at 0.068022 per $100, producing a combined rate of 0.52606 per $100 (an effective 3.33% increase called out in the record). The initial votes on the components were recorded; commissioners overwhelmingly supported lowering the rate while one commissioner, Frank Morales, dissented on the broader rate discussion.

Land-use and regulator…