[polldaddy poll=9125003]Months spent crunching numbers, evaluating citizen surveys and holding budget meetings came to an end in September as the cities of Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake approved fiscal year 2015-16 budgets.
Grapevine approved a $170.2 million budget that includes an appropriation of more than $6 million for the construction of a train station for TexRail use that is expected to begin construction in 2016.
Southlake’s $86.9 million budget prioritizes infrastructure improvements and police department enhancements with funds budgeted for 30 body-worn cameras and the replacement of 26 dashboard cameras. [polldaddy poll="9125003"]
Colleyville’s $42.2 million budget contains funds allocated to transportation projects, such as SH 26 Phase 2 and Glade Road, which begins in 2016.
Grapevine budget
Still on the rebound from the flooding of Lake Grapevine in May, Chief Financial Officer Greg Jordan said a larger emphasis was placed on the budget’s Lake Park Fund and Golf Course Fund than in previous years.
“I think one of the biggest differences is the strengthening of the lake parks and the golf course [funds],” he said. “We made some structural changes to both of those funds so that we could establish a healthier reserve balance to protect us from future flooding events and different types of
incidents.”
The budget projects $435,150 will be put into the golf course fund reserves.
Additionally city staff suggests a proposed rate increase in fees of approximately 8 percent for the golf course that is forecast to generate an additional $343,264. The proposed rate increase is expected to come before City Council later this year.
Grapevine continued to expand its amenities and retail offerings during FY 2014-15 resulting in more sales tax revenue, which is the city’s largest source of revenue.
Because of the growth, money allocated to the Crime Control Prevention District Fund from the general fund is no longer needed, and the CCPD fund can now be sustained with the half-cent sales tax.
“CCPD was created in 2007, and since 2009 there’s been a general fund subsidy because the half cent wasn’t enough to pay for all the police activities that were in the CCPD,” Jordan said. “The general fund in FY 2014-15 contributed $700,000 to the CCPD, but because of the sales tax growth the general fund won’t have to make that contribution going forward.”
Colleyville budget
This fiscal year Colleyville City Manager Jennifer Fadden said the city is investing more in its Capital Improvements Program, particularly in its roads.
“The City Council has placed a heavy emphasis on street maintenance,” she said. “We’ve allocated more funding than ever in the last couple of years toward street maintenance to ensure we start making an impact on that aspect and maintain it to the standards our citizens expect.”
Major transportation projects listed in the budget include Glade Road Phase 1 reconstruction, Phases 2 and 3 of SH 26, and rehabilitation of John McCain and Cheek Sparger Roads. The city will also pay for the remainder of the designs for the Glade Road project in FY 2015-16. Fadden said with the anticipation of the SH 26 project affecting businesses and residents, the budget features $200,000 for the addition of a construction manager who will be assigned to the project for its duration as well as advertising, promotion and support of affected businesses.
“We are very cognizant of the impact this SH 26 project has on not only the city budget, but our businesses as well—just making sure we have contingencies and that we do everything that we can as a city to give them support, promotion and visibility that they need to work through this process.”
She said the budget also includes the addition of an urban forester, a police officer and increasing two part-time employees to full-time employees.
“We are adding an urban forester position because in our community trees are extremely important, and we hear that time and time again,” Fadden said. “It has come to a point where we really need to allocate specific resources to that effort to show that there is somebody on city staff that is proactively looking at tree preservation.”
Southlake budget
The city’s budget includes a 12 percent homestead exemption, which is an increase from the 10 percent exemption adopted in FY 2014-15 and the fifth tax-relief initiative implemented since 2009.
City Manager Shana Yelverton said each year, every effort is made to provide property tax relief to Southlake taxpayers.
A 12 percent homestead exemption will provide a $66,900 reduction in value for an average-valued home in Southlake. The property owner of an average-valued home will see the equivalent of a tax rate reduction of more than $0.055 per $100 valuation with the 12 percent exemption applied.
She added that as the city’s economy has grown it has been possible to implement relief measures aimed at reducing property taxes.
Also, for the 13th-straight year, Southlake’s property tax rate has remained at 46 cents per $100 of assessed value. The budget also includes $300,000 designated for Southlake Town Square Public Space enhancement projects.
“The Town Square enhancement program will primarily be focused on landscape and hardscape improvements as well as Grand Avenue sidewalk and rehabilitation and striping initiatives,” she said. “The Town Square enhancements project includes improvements all across Southlake Town Square to maintain the aesthetic appeal of the development.”
Yelverton said some of the other major highlights for FY 2015-16 include: 85 percent of property tax-supported debt paid off in 10 years, a second-straight year of no new property tax-supported debt and voter-approved funding to support the Phase 2 construction of event center, The Marq.
This fiscal year Colleyville City Manager Jennifer Fadden said the city is investing more in its Capital Improvements Program, particularly in its roads.
“The City Council has placed a heavy emphasis on street maintenance,” she said. “We’ve allocated more funding than ever in the last couple of years toward street maintenance to ensure we start making an impact on that aspect and maintain it to the standards our citizens expect.”
Major transportation projects listed in the budget include Glade Road Phase 1 reconstruction, Phases 2 and 3 of SH 26, and rehabilitation of John McCain and Cheek Sparger Roads. The city will also pay for the remainder of the designs for the Glade Road project in FY 2015-16. Fadden said with the anticipation of the SH 26 project affecting businesses and residents, the budget features $200,000 for the addition of a construction manager who will be assigned to the project for its duration as well as advertising, promotion and support of affected businesses.
“We are very cognizant of the impact this SH 26 project has on not only the city budget, but our businesses as well—just making sure we have contingencies and that we do everything that we can as a city to give them support, promotion and visibility that they need to work through this process.”
She said the budget also includes the addition of an urban forester, a police officer and increasing two part-time employees to full-time employees.
“We are adding an urban forester position because in our community trees are extremely important, and we hear that time and time again,” Fadden said. “It has come to a point where we really need to allocate specific resources to that effort to show that there is somebody on city staff that is proactively looking at tree preservation.”
