What happened
Liberty Hill's city council approved city budgets for general operating expenses totaling just under $12.32 million for FY 2024-25, which begins Oct. 1, during a Sept. 11 meeting.
This is up from about $9.99 million for FY 2023-24, and represents a balanced budget, meaning that planned expenditures do not exceed expected revenues.
The growth in the city's expenditures comes as the city itself has experienced quick population growth. Per U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Liberty Hill grew from a population of 9,079 in 2022 to 10,428 in 2023.
What you need to know
The city's police department makes up the biggest share of its budgeted expenses at $3.9 million, followed by developmental services and administration.
While the council was also set to deliberate on its tax rate for this fiscal year, members elected to consider the matter at a future meeting to be held later this month, citing concerns about the amount of time council members were given to review information received ahead of the meeting.
"I don't want to make any kind of decision—approve or deny—that I can't review," Mayor Pro Tem Amanda Young said. "That's not something that I feel comfortable doing at all."
