Rowlett City Council adopts FY2025 budget, sets property tax rate

Rowlett City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance approving the fiscal year 2025 budget and approved an ordinance setting the city's ad valorem property tax rate at 0.769691 per $100 of taxable value at its Sept. 18 meeting. The council also adopted a resolution ratifying the property tax revenue increase reflected in the budget.

City staff told the council the formal public hearings on the FY2025 budget and the property tax rate had been held the previous evening and presented the ordinances for final approval. Mayor Pro Tem Winjian moved to adopt the budget ordinance, seconded by Council Member Bridal; the motion carried unanimously. Council Member Shoop moved to adopt the tax-rate ordinance, seconded by Council Member Bowers; that motion also carried unanimously. Council Member Britton moved to approve the resolution ratifying the property tax revenue increase reflected in the budget; that motion likewise passed unanimously.

An unidentified council speaker clarified the purpose of the tax-rate action, saying, "Just want to make it clear for those who are watching at home, once again, as we said last night, that this tax rate increase is only the amount of tax rate increase to cover the I&S for the 2023 bond election." The council recorded the outcomes as unanimous; specific roll-call vote counts were not specified in the transcript.

Council members also thanked staff for their work preparing the budget. With no further business, the presiding officer adjourned the meeting at 6:04 p.m.

What the measures mean: the approved ordinances finalize the city's spending plan for FY2025 and set the tax rate the city will use to calculate property tax bills; council members said the rate change reflects debt-service (interest and sinking) tied to a 2023 bond election approved by voters.