The approved tax rate for FY 2021 is $0.4466 per $100 valuation, which is consistent with Frisco's 2019-20 tax rate and does not exceed the no-new-revenue and voter-approval tax rates.
The tax rate will raise less revenue from property taxes than in last year's budget by $3.1 million, according to city staff. That is a 2.2% decrease. City staff also said property tax revenue to be raised from new property value added to the tax roll this year is just over $8 million.
Expenditures from the general fund are budgeted at $182.6 million, which is about a $13.2 million increase from the projected FY 20 year-end total.
The budget includes $12.1 million to the public works department, $18.3 million to the Parks and Recreation Department and $42.3 million toward the Frisco Fire Department—which includes one fire deputy chief of operations.
The adopted budget document will become available on the city's website in November, Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said at the meeting.
A draft version of Frisco’s budget is available to view on the city's website.
"This has been a challenging year for obvious reasons," Cheney said. "And staff is able to deliver a budget to deliver the exemplary services that all of our [residents] have come to expect with a fully funded public safety department at the same tax rate with all of our prior exemptions."
Before the Sept. 15 meeting, Cheney tweeted in support of Gov. Greg Abbott's #TexasBacksTheBlue pledge that opposes any efforts to de-fund police in the state.
The Governor is late to the party here in Frisco. Many of us were in Austin last session fighting for local control and our ability to fully fund our public safety. Frisco has always backed our blue with actions. Actions you will see this evening as we vote on our 2021 budget.
And I have gladly signed the pledge as I agree 100% with the message. Public safety will always be our #1 priority and we will never have conversations on defunding our police
— Jeff Cheney (@JeffCheney) September 15, 2020
Expenditures for the Frisco Police Department in the approved budget total $46.4 million. More than $703,000 of that will cover the personnel, operational and capital costs needed to add four police officers and a wellness coordinator to the patrol division along with a victim advocate in the investigations division. Three of those positions are being funded through grants, according to the city.
"Our team wins every award that is out there for transparency and financial literacy," Cheney said. "And we're just super proud of the work that they do."
