Sweetwater council adopts FY2025–26 budget and sets new property tax rate

The Sweetwater City Council voted to adopt the fiscal year 2025–26 budget and approved an ordinance fixing the city's property tax rate at 51.3613 cents per $100 valuation during a meeting that began at 9:00 a.m.

The council opened public hearings on the proposed budget and the tax rate, heard no public comments, and then voted to adopt the budget. The clerk announced the budget would raise $426,062 in additional property-tax revenue over last year (reported in the meeting as a roughly 13.65% increase) and that $28,155 in taxable value was newly added to the tax roll. "This budget will raise more revenue from property taxes than last year's budget by amount of $426,062," the presiding officer said when opening the hearing.

Council members asked staff for the reason behind the increase. An unidentified council member asked, "What is the main reason why our taxes are going up a little bit?" Staff answered that the primary driver was debt issuance for equipment purchases, specifically a pump truck and an ambulance. That exchange was read into the record before Council member McPherson moved to approve the budget, and Council member Boyle seconded the motion. The presiding officer conducted a roll-call vote and stated, "Motion carries and is approved."

On the tax rate, the council approved a maintenance and operations (M&O) rate of 44.8972¢ and a debt-service (I&S) rate of 6.4641¢, for a total of 51.3613¢ per $100 valuation for tax year 2025. The presiding officer advised this represents an effective increase in the tax rate as discussed in the public hearing. The motion to adopt the tax-rate ordinance passed; the presiding officer read the ordinance into the record.

The council also approved an appropriations ordinance for the fiscal year and adopted an amendment to the FY2024–25 budget during the same session. No public speakers addressed the hearings; the meeting concluded after brief staff remarks and a recognition in the city manager's report. The council adjourned at 9:12 a.m.

The actions taken: adoption of the FY2025–26 budget, approval of the appropriations ordinance, adoption of the tax-rate ordinance fixing a 51.3613¢ per $100 valuation rate for tax year 2025, and approval of an amendment to the FY2024–25 budget. Staff stated the tax increase is primarily attributable to recent debt issuance for specific capital purchases (pump truck and ambulance).