Council narrows budget priorities: staff seeks COLA and targeted hires while flagging a $7M driving facility

Council members and staff spent the session narrowing personnel and public‑safety priorities as part of the 2027 budget work. Facilitator Hillary and the city manager led a sustained discussion about health insurance, across‑the‑board cost‑of‑living adjustments (COLA), certification pay, and targeted rehiring in departments that are understaffed.

Council asked staff to prioritize three areas for potential new positions within the city manager's proposed budget: police patrol, animal services and parks. Members repeatedly emphasized retention and the need to be competitive at entry levels; staff noted Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) employer matching and vesting rules as a long‑term recruitment asset.

On public‑safety capital, the city manager told the council that a dedicated driving and training facility would be "give or take, a $7,000,000 improvement," intended to serve multiple public‑safety units and to be funded by tax notes if council approves that approach. Staff said design work will be done largely in‑house and that property identification and basic specs are underway.

The session also covered meet‑and‑confer negotiations for police and fire. Staff warned these contracts represent net new recurring costs and suggested budgeting those costs as new revenue requirements rather than absorbing them in one year. The city manager gave council order‑of‑magnitude examples: he said a 1% raise for non‑civil‑service positions is roughly $400,000 and that a 3% raise would be about $1.2 million.

Council directed staff to produce budget worksheets showing scenarios (no‑new‑revenue, modest tax increases, and use of the 'unused increment') so members can see trade‑offs among a possible COLA, the $500,000 street maintenance adder, and meet‑and‑confer obligations. Staff will return with costed options ahead of the formal budget workshops.