Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rowlett posts fiscal-year surplus as finance director recommends strategic carryovers
Summary
Finance Director Wendy Badgett told the City Council that Rowlett closed FY2025 with roughly $157 million in revenues and $145 million in expenses, producing a general-fund surplus driven largely by property-tax collections and higher interest earnings; staff recommended rolling some savings into the FY2026 budget.
Rowlett closed fiscal year 2025 with stronger-than-expected results, Finance Director Wendy Badgett told the City Council on Jan. 6.
"Overall, the city earned or received 157,000,000 for fiscal year 20 25," Badgett said during a presentation that summarized revenues, expenditures and fund balances. She reported the city's general fund finished the year about $5.7 million above the revised budget, with property taxes accounting for roughly $43 million of revenue and nearly 60% of the general fund's operating revenue.
Badgett said expenses totaled $145 million for the year, roughly $3 million below budget, with a large share of savings attributable to personnel vacancies. She also highlighted specific one-time and timing items that affected the close, including catch-up delinquent payments, tower-lease fees and insurance reimbursements. ‘‘General fund revenues finished the fiscal year $5,700,000 above budget,’’ she said.
The presentation also covered utility funds: water revenues ended approximately $855,000, or about 4%, below budget, and sewer revenues were roughly $97,000 (about 1%) under budget. Badgett said those variances were driven by meter-changeout billing impacts and unusually cool, wet weather that reduced irrigation demand in the DFW area.
Badgett noted the city folded some year-end savings into the FY2026 budget to cover invoices received after the fiscal year closed. "At year end, about $400,000 of the overall savings in the expenses has been rolled over into the fiscal year '26 budget," she said.
Why it matters: the report gives the council a clearer starting point for the FY2026 budget season. Council members thanked staff for the presentation and acknowledged the work of the finance team, then discussed opportunities such as possible tax-rate reductions and how pilot payments and other revenue timing items affected the finish.
What's next: the presentation was informational (not an action item); council members said staff would use the figures as the work for the upcoming budget season begins.
