Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget And Tax topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lancaster council adopts FY2025–26 budget, approves property tax rate that raises revenue
Summary
On Aug. 25 the Lancaster City Council adopted the FY2025–26 budget, approved a property tax rate of 0.59949 per $100 of assessed valuation and ratified the budget as required by state law; staff said the budget reflects a 15.59% increase in property-tax revenue driven largely by rising appraisals.
Lancaster City Council on Aug. 25 adopted the city’s fiscal year 2025–26 budget and approved an ad valorem tax rate of 0.59949 per $100 of assessed valuation, a rate city staff said will produce 15.59% more property-tax revenue than the prior year.
City Manager (speaker 7) told the council the proposed budget covers maintenance and operations, interest and sinking fund requirements, and a new equipment fund. The budget as presented included allocations for the Lancaster Economic Development Corporation and the Lancaster Recreational Development Corporation. The city published required notices in the Rambler on Aug. 11 and Aug. 18 and held a prior public hearing on Aug. 18, the manager said.
During the public hearing on the tax rate, resident Solomon Buckman asked the council for clearer public communication, saying that while the nominal rate is slightly lower than last year’s published figure, overall tax bills are increasing because of higher property appraisals. "I’m just asking for transparency and honesty in how the city communicates this budget and tax rate," Buckman said, noting example properties and calculated year-over-year tax increases.
Council members moved and seconded the ordinance to adopt the budget and the ordinance to adopt the tax rate with the statutorily required wording. The city took a roll-call vote on the budget ordinance and on the tax-rate ordinance; named officials recorded "Aye" and the motions carried. The council then approved a separate resolution to ratify the budget under the statutory requirement that applies when adopted revenues from property taxes increase over the prior year.
Staff told the council the budget was built on a proposed tax rate of 0.59949 per $100 of assessed valuation and that the rate represents an effective 12.55% increase in tax-rate revenues; staff also cited a 15.59% increase in property-tax revenue in the adopted budget relative to the prior year. City staff referenced state truth-in-taxation requirements and noted that the motion language required by law was placed on the record before the council voted.
The council completed required procedures for the public hearings, adopted the ordinances and ratified the budget as required by state law. The city secretary recorded affirmative votes by present members in roll call.
The council recessed for an executive session later in the evening and returned to open session at 9:02 p.m.; no additional action on the budget or tax items was reported in open session.
The budget takes effect with the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2025. No further public hearings on the adopted FY2025–26 budget were scheduled at the meeting.
