Argyle’s town budget for fiscal year 2024-25 will not include any tax rate increases, Mayor Rick Bradford said Aug. 9.
Council discussed the budget in an Aug. 5 meeting.
The details
Bradford said from what he has seen in the preliminary numbers from town departments, there should not be a major increase in the budget this year compared to last year.
“My anticipation is that the tax rate will either remain the same or we may end up lowering it,” he told Community Impact. “We’re not expecting an increase. Our commercial development is coming along and our ad valorem taxes, the property taxes, continue to be very strong. Financially, our revenues look really good, so, more than likely, we're going to end up reducing the tax rate, which would be our fifth year in a row.”
For the FY 2023-24 budget, council in September approved a tax rate of $0.343111 per $100 valuation—a 6.09% decrease from the tax rate from the preceding year of $0.365347, according to previous reporting from Community Impact.
Zooming in
For city staff, Bradford said there will be a small annual cost-of-living increase, which will be “nothing really out of the ordinary there.” But Argyle Police Chief Emmitt Jackson is asking for incremental raises for police officers, and town officials are looking to potentially add two to three corporal positions in the police department.
“The goal there is to provide progression but also help us retain the excellent officers that we have,” Bradford said.
The chief requests an increase in the step program, and that increase would not cause a significant increase in the budget. The increase would elevate Argyle in competitiveness in relation to other cities in North Texas, Bradford said.
Also of note
He said there won’t be any staff cuts, as the town is fully staffed and in “good shape.” He said the town will be investing some money in Unity Park.
“The other area where we’re anticipating some increases is our communications and marketing budget,” Bradford said, adding that the leaders want to hold events to engage the community, such as with more programs and activities, and he expects a small increase in funding for that department budget.
Council will have a budget workshop on Aug. 19 and examine—more in depth—revenues and expectations, and ensure that town leaders can manage the growth, Bradford said.
Public hearings on the tax rate and budget will be held on Aug. 26, and the budget and tax rate are set to be adopted on Sept. 9.
