The city of Bellaire will spend roughly $210 million on capital projects through 2031.
Bellaire City Council unanimously authorized the city’s fiscal year 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Plan Oct. 19 following a presentation by Capital Program Manager Casey Goforth.
The big picture
The Bellaire Capital Projects Team presented the plan and subsequently recommended its approval by City Council during the Oct. 19 regular session after months of gathering input and formal decision-making.
Shaped by the city’s Strategic Plan and the adopted budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, the Capital Improvement Plan is a comprehensive roadmap outlining what projects the city will prioritize and invest in over the next five years.
Fulfillment of these projects will address longstanding operational needs identified by Bellaire’s city departments, while supporting the city’s growth and sustainability, according to the agenda.
What you need to know
Goforth said the capital budget for FY 2026-27 is $14,312,390. The largest chunk of this budget will be sourced from the city’s capital bond fund, totaling $11,531,390.
The city is estimated to spend roughly $11.5 million on wastewater projects in 2027, with investments in other project types also detailed in Goforth’s presentation.
Some ongoing projects that city officials have budgeted for the upcoming year include:
The Bellaire Municipal Library Assessment for an estimated $66,000
The Safe Accessible Parks and Facilities project for an estimated $50,000
The Feld Park Generator project for an estimated $311,700
The Water Storage Tank Rehabilitation project for an estimated $1,038,900
The city is also expected to take on a plethora of newer projects introduced in this budget cycle, such as the Street Master Plan for an estimated $250,000 and replacement of the Bellaire Recreation Center‘s gym floor for an estimated $150,000, per agenda documents.
Zooming out
The wastewater projects scheduled through 2031 include, but are not limited to, improvements to Bellaire’s wastewater collection system, lift station assessments, decommissioning of Bellaire’s existing wastewater treatment plant and demolition of the Public Works Laydown Yard, agenda documents show.
Assistant City Manager and City Engineer Beth Jones reiterated that the plan is only a working document intended to inform officials of upcoming projects for budget and strategic planning purposes. As such, figures for years beyond FY 2026-27 are subject to change based on future recommendations and development.
“It’s more of, ‘Hey, this is on our radar and we need it to be on your radar,’" Jones said. “So that we can think about things holistically at a five-year glance, but it’s not perfection.”
Bellaire City Council adopted the FY 2026-27 budget Sept. 21.
