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Rowlett council adopts FY2026 budget, approves tax rate and ratifies property tax increase
Summary
The Rowlett City Council voted 6–1 to adopt the fiscal year 2025–26 budget, approve a new ad valorem tax rate and ratify the property tax revenue increase; councilmembers said most of the increase stems from voter-approved 2023 bond projects and a small discretionary amount supports public safety and operations.
The Rowlett City Council on Wednesday adopted the fiscal year 2025–26 budget, approved an ad valorem tax rate and ratified the property tax revenue increase, each measure passing by 6–1.
Council Member Shoop moved to adopt the budget; Council Member Reeves seconded and the council called the vote. Council Member Britton said he would oppose the budget, adding, "I apologize for not being unified on this, but my heart tells me I need to vote no." The motion carried 6–1.
Mayor (presiding) and finance staff said the majority of the rate increase ties to projects voters approved in the 2023 bond election — about three cents of the increase — including a new public safety facility, a new animal shelter and improvements to Hereford Park. The mayor said the discretionary portion of the increase is "less than 1¢" (about three-quarters of a cent) and is intended to support day-to-day operations and personnel.
Council Member Reeves described the net increase as about 3.82¢; using a median Rowlett home value he cited ($330,000), he estimated the change would be roughly $28 more per year for a typical homeowner. "As finance team mentioned last night, 75% of that is voter approved," Reeves said, adding that only about 25% is attributable to operational decisions by the council.
The adopted package includes pay and staffing changes the mayor and council highlighted for public safety: nearly $500,000 in firefighter raises, about $170,000 in police raises, the addition of two police officers and one detention officer, and new non-public-safety positions such as a purchasing agent, a fleet technician and a traffic operations technician. The mayor also said the senior tax freeze is expected to return nearly $8,000,000 to eligible seniors in the coming fiscal year.
On the ad valorem tax rate, the mayor announced a rate of 0.807891 per $100 of taxable value; during the motion Council Member Bowers read a slightly different figure (0.80791891) while describing the change as roughly a 2.7% increase. The council voted to adopt the rate by a 6–1 margin, with Council Member Britton recorded in the transcript as the lone vote in opposition.
Council then moved to ratify the property tax revenue increase reflected in the adopted budget; Council Member Shoop moved for approval and Council Member Bowers seconded. That resolution also passed 6–1.
The council thanked the finance staff and City Manager David Hall for work on the budget. With business concluded, the mayor adjourned the meeting at 6:35 p.m.
