Burleson council approves notices for higher tax-rate ceiling, schedules budget hearings

City Manager Tommy Ludwig presented the Burleson City Council with the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget on Aug. 11, outlining a plan that balances conservative revenue assumptions with priorities for street maintenance and public safety.

Ludwig said the proposed budget is tied to the city’s strategic plan and described a recommended tax rate of 0.6989 per $100 valuation while noting the legal maximum the council can publish for notification (the voter‑approval ceiling) is 0.7218. He told the council the average homeowner’s net tax bill would rise by about $111 under the proposed rate and new certified property values, and said moving merit/step increases from Oct. 1 to Jan. 1 would save roughly $377,000 in the near term.

"This is a culmination of many, many months of work," Ludwig said, summarizing the presentation and the finance committee’s guidance. He outlined supplemental items including a one‑time $600,000 IT backup equipment purchase, a proposed 5% water and sewer rate increase for FY26 to support capital needs, and a reclassification of three proposed paramedic positions into the transport fund for accounting purposes rather than elimination.

Why it matters: the council must publish a maximum tax rate for public notice before a final vote; choosing the higher notification ceiling preserves flexibility but signals a possible increase in homeowner tax bills. Finance‑committee estimates presented at the meeting placed the additional revenue from the 0.7218 ceiling at roughly $1.2 million, which staff said could be used for one‑time street maintenance or to fund restored personnel expenses.

Council members debated tradeoffs between keeping tax rates lower and funding long‑deferred road maintenance and public safety needs. One council member said the 0.7218 figure gave her “heartburn” because it moves the city back above 70¢, while another expressed reluctance to raise taxes yet acknowledged the need to address failing streets and staffing shortfalls.

The budget discussion also included a policy question about the Burleson Opportunity Fund (BOF). Ludwig said the council had previously treated the city’s contribution as a one‑time supplemental and that the proposed budget includes no ongoing BOF appropriation. Several council members asked for a separate public discussion on whether the city should resume or permanently end recurring contributions to the BOF.

Votes at a glance: - Resolution (3B): Motion to publish a proposed maximum tax rate of $0.7218 per $100 valuation for notification — moved by Councilmember Alexa, seconded, passed unanimously (motion recorded and adopted by show of hands). (Introduced and voted: Aug. 11, 2025.) - Minute order (3C): Motion to set public hearings on the proposed 2025 tax rate and the FY2025–26 budget for Sept. 2, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. in Burleson City Hall — moved by Councilmember Victoria, seconded, passed unanimously.

What happens next: staff will publish the required notices using the 0.7218 maximum for notification and proceed with public hearings; the council is scheduled to take final action during the Sept. 8 meeting. Ludwig said staff will bring a separate item to discuss future BOF funding outside the budget process if the council wants that conversation.

Attributions: reporting here uses direct statements and motions recorded in the Aug. 11 council meeting transcript. Quotations and attributions come from the meeting presenters and council members as recorded: Tommy Ludwig (City Manager), Alex (staff, on a developer default letter), and council members identified in the transcript as Alexa and Victoria (movers of actions).