Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the City Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kennedale finance director presents FY27 budget with reserves forecast and benefit cost update
Summary
Finance Director Jonathan Horton presented the FY27 budget showing a flat tax rate, a projected two-year reserve increase of about $268,289, a projected 127 days (about 34%) of fund balance at FY27 year-end, and a benefits cost update that added roughly $76,000 to the general-fund gap.
Jonathan Horton opened the work session with an overview of the FY27 proposal and emphasized the tax rate remained flat in the presentation. He said the two-year projection (FY26 projection combined with the FY27 budget) would add roughly $268,289 to city reserves and that the FY27 projection shows about 127 days of fund balance — roughly 34 percent of annual spending. "So considering our FY 26 projections and our FY '27 budget, we're projecting to have 127 days of fund balance," Horton said.
Horton also reported a late update on employee benefits: the city had budgeted a 10 percent increase but the most recent information showed the city's share rising to slightly above 20 percent, adding about $76,000 to the budget. Horton said these numbers were preliminary and could shift, and he framed the two-year projection method the finance department uses as conservative by design. "That is an additional $76,000 on top of the budget that we have now," Horton said.
Councilors pressed for clarity on fund types, transfers between enterprise funds (water/sewer) and the general fund, and how debt-service timing affects capacity for future bonds. Horton walked through the role of the general, enterprise, capital bond and EDC funds and how restricted revenues must be kept in dedicated funds.
