Bellaire city officials kicked off the start of budget season July 20 with a presentation on the proposed annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2026-27, which begins Oct. 1, 2026, and lasts through Sept. 30, 2027.
City Engineer Beth Jones and Chief Financial Officer Terrance Beaman gave the presentation, which showcased an approximately $70 million budget that highlights public safety, capital projects and a few supplemental requests new to this year's finances.
The overview
The city's General Fund, the primary operating fund for daily, unrestricted financial operations, is set at $32.8 million, approximately $1.4 million higher than the FY 2025-26 budget. According to the presentation, the increase is due to slightly more revenue from property taxes, sales tax, recreation fees and transfers from other funds.
On the other hand, the city's general fund expenditures increased by slightly over $1.6 million due to higher-than-projected costs for the fire and police departments, city administration, library and parks and recreation facilities. Beaman said the increased funds are mostly due to salary and benefit changes for these departments' employees.
Next to the General Fund, Bellaire's second largest source of revenue is the Enterprise Fund, which is expected to bring in
$17 million for the new fiscal year. The Enterprise Fund is primarily funded by user fees rather than general tax revenue and consists of water, wastewater, solid waste and recycling fees. Expenses for the Enterprise Fund total about $16 million, leaving almost a million dollars left in the budget than is expected to be spent.
The proposed budget also includes $717,000 in revenue for the drainage fund and $712,000 in expenditures.
Zooming in
Beaman said the FY2026-27 budget is also expected to include some supplemental requests, including
- $21,000: software for police department drones (recurring)
- $55,000: HVAC air handlers for Henshaw House
- $25,000: consultant for logo and branding guidelines
- $100,000: consultant for economic development
In addition to these requests, the city will also look to approve approximately $1.3 million in vehicle equipment and technology expenses. Expenses include replacing three police vehicles and fire department equipment such as a heart monitor, chest compression system and radios, as well as purchasing a new solid waste vehicle, three utility vehicles and paying lease payments on existing vehicles.
Before you go
Bellaire will host its first budget workshop July 28. A public hearing on the budget will follow Aug. 10, with a vote on the tax rate set for Sept. 14. The budget is expected to be adopted during the Sept. 21 City Council meeting.
