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City begins budget workshops: $22M operating budget preview, $7.5M property‑tax revenue and personnel cost drivers
Summary
City Manager Scott Huing presented a preliminary budget overview: the city’s operating budget (excluding bond funds) is about $22 million across funds; property taxes remain the largest general‑fund revenue (approximately $7.5 million). The draft proposes an average total compensation movement of about 5% (2.5% COLA + ~2.5% merit/step), funds an $850,000 annual street‑maintenance program and accounts for a $350,000 contract increase for fire/EMS with ESD4.
Fair Oaks Ranch — The council on June 4 began its annual budget workshops with an overview from City Manager Scott Huing and department presentations from public safety and public works.
Huing said the city’s total operating budget (not including bond funds) is about $22 million across all funds, and that the general fund depends heavily on property tax revenue (projected at about $7.5 million in the preliminary budget). Preliminary property values were listed at nearly $2.9 billion, including exemptions and freezes. The draft general‑fund revenues were budgeted to increase about 3.5% year‑over‑year under planning assumptions; staff noted the current preliminary valuation growth was about 1.8% over last year.
Key expenditure drivers in the preliminary general‑fund budget include personnel costs (about 56% of general‑fund expenditures), a proposed average compensation movement of about 5% (a recommended 2.5% across‑the‑board adjustment plus average merit/step increases of about 2.5%), and a contracted fire/EMS payment to ESD4 that increases by approximately $350,000 to roughly $1.45 million. Huing said the proposed budget fully funds the equipment replacement plan and includes a $200,000 allocation for a comprehensive plan update and a proposed $50,000 safety coordinator (split with utilities).
Chief Todd Smith presented the public‑safety budget (about $4.16 million supporting 30 authorized positions with three current vacancies) and highlighted planned vehicle and taser replacements, training funded from restricted LEO funds and ongoing emphasis on operational readiness. Public Works Director Grant Watenabi presented a $3.67 million public‑works budget that includes the $850,000 annual street‑maintenance program and some proposed capital items (two message‑board trailers, radar feedback sign, and a vehicle replacement).
Huing emphasized that the preliminary budget projects a small deficit (about $263,000) and that staff is maintaining reserve policies (four months of emergency reserves and two months of budget stabilization). The council will continue workshops and anticipates filing the proposed budget in mid‑August, with public hearings on budget and tax rate to follow in late summer and adoption in September.
Speakers quoted: Scott Huing; Todd Smith; Grant Watenabi.
What’s next: Additional departmental workshops on public safety and utilities, tax‑rate calculations after final property valuations in July, and proposed‑budget filing in August ahead of public hearings.
