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Rockwall council hears divided views on proposed FY2026 budget and 0.2575 tax rate ahead of Sept. 15 vote
Summary
City staff described budget scenarios tied to issuing up to $22 million in voter-approved bonds; residents and the Rockwall Firefighters urged either holding or raising the tax rate for public-safety pay and capital needs. Council debated options and will adopt the budget and tax rate Sept. 15.
A public hearing at the Rockwall City Council’s Sept. 2 meeting focused on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget and the advertised tax rate of 0.2575 per $100 of assessed value. City Manager Mary Smith told the council the advertised rate is the maximum the city published and that staff had prepared multiple scenarios showing trade-offs between issuing $22 million in voter-approved street bonds and cuts to operations.
Residents offered mixed views. Les Chapman of Sunset Hill Drive urged the council to ‘‘take a hard look’’ before increasing taxes and to review manager and director salaries first. John Hageman and other residents urged investment in harbor repairs and said the city should be competitive on public-safety pay to recruit staff.
Speaking for Rockwall firefighters, the department representative argued the council should not continue a pattern of adopting a ‘‘no new revenue’’ rate and detailed staffing and pay comparisons with peer cities, saying the proposed change would help retain public-safety personnel. ‘‘Freezing tax revenue in effect kicks costs down the road,’’ the speaker said, urging a sustainable approach to funding.
Council members debated options at length. Mary Smith presented scenarios that would fund the $22 million in bonds only by shifting tax rate dollars toward debt service or by scaling back issuance (for example, issuing $9 million or $5 million instead) and identifying operational cuts. Several council members—among them Mayor Pro Tem Mueller and Councilwoman Campbell—said the modest difference between the no-new-revenue scenario and the advertised rate (which some members described as about $108 per year for a typical home in council discussion) would fund essential services and road projects. Other members, including Councilwoman Jeffers and Council member Henson, said they preferred holding the rate steady and looking for cuts.
No final vote was taken Sept. 2. The council agreed that the formal adoption of the FY2026 budget and tax rate will occur at its regular meeting on Sept. 15 at 6:00 p.m. in council chambers, where members expect further deliberation and a vote.
