White House council opens FY2026–27 budget hearing, continues review to Aug. 24

City of White House staff presented an updated FY2026–27 line-item budget on Aug. 10 and the council voted to continue the public hearing to Aug. 24 to allow time for the public and council to review the changes.

Ms. Black told the council the draft incorporates directions from a recent workshop and preserves priorities for public safety and streets, including taser replacements, one police investigator, an additional patrol officer, two additional firefighters, two AED replacements and a street-condition assessment. "Tonight is an opportunity for the public to provide input on the proposed budget, before any budget and tax rate decisions are made," Ms. Black said. Staff said about $484,000 in the draft is directly related to public safety and streets while updated property-tax revenue under a de minimis scenario would be $3,900,000.

Ms. Black presented basic fiscal totals: general-fund revenue of $10,556,730, expenditures of $10,499,000 and a forecasted margin of $57,000 — roughly 0.5 percent of the budget. She explained that statutory changes affecting taxable values mean certain rates (de minimis and voter-approval rates) will not generate the same operating dollars as in prior years and cited illustrative rates including 0.711646 (revenue rate), 0.828776 (de minimis) and 0.847910 (voter-approval rate). "I would be hesitant to ask you all to make a decision on something that you saw 10 minutes ago," Ms. Black said when recommending the continuance to give the public time to review the updated line-item file.

After hearing from two registered speakers, the council formally moved, seconded and approved a motion to continue the budget public hearing to Aug. 24 and direct staff to post the updated line-item budget on the city website before that date. The council will then consider a proposed tax rate on Aug. 24 and set a public hearing for tax-rate adoption for Sept. 22 if necessary.