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Stafford council candidates clash over 0% property tax as budget shortfalls loom
Summary
As Stafford candidates debated the city’s finances, incumbent and challengers split between protecting a decades-long 0% property-tax policy and acknowledging multi-year deficits and the need for new revenue or reallocated resources.
Several City of Stafford council candidates used a forum to frame the election around taxes and municipal finances. Tim Wood, a current council member, said the city has been running short on resources and warned voters about the scale of the problem: "We have 3 consecutive years of deficit budgets," he said, arguing the city must be honest about its fiscal position and consider a range of revenue options to fund infrastructure and public safety.
Kenneth Grant pressed the opposite case as he pledged to "protect that 0 property tax" if elected, saying the policy is part of Stafford's identity and that residents should not be asked to bear new property-tax burdens. Frank Heathcock and Xavier Herrera also weighed in: Heathcock said he would "fight against any property tax," focusing on tighter spending and accountability, while Herrera emphasized smart planning and maintaining services such as police and fire. The exchange underscored a central choice for voters: preserve the long-standing 0% property-tax commitment or accept new revenue measures to address deferred capital needs.
