City manager presents FY2027 budget that prioritizes services, redevelopment and modest tax‑rate rebalancing

City Manager Mike (presenting as the manager) told council the FY2027 proposed budget is the first under the Garland on the Rise strategic plan and is designed to protect reserves while funding operational priorities. "The combined budget this year is $1,028,000,000 and the general fund is $271,600,000," the manager said, and staff outlined three priorities: stop using one‑time funding for recurring costs; a 3% merit increase plus market adjustments; and linking funding to the strategic plan.

Council and budget staff reviewed details including a proposed transfer of three cents of tax‑rate capacity from debt service to operations for a November vote, timeline steps for certified values and public hearings, and a set of "YES" budget items that add 9 firefighters, 10 police officers, 8 emergency dispatchers and a $5,000,000 contribution toward neighborhood revitalization. Staff said if voters do not approve the tax‑rate swap the city will remove those enhanced service items from the budget and return to council to amend the adopted budget.