Tonight's City Council agenda had a variety of topics ranging from the Fiscal Year 2017-18 budget and tax rate to downtown parking, public transportation and development agreements pending municipal annexation.

Here is a recap of the meeting:

Council approves Fiscal Year 2017-18 budget and tax rate


Council approved the FY 2017-18 budget of $433 million by a vote of 6-1 with Council Member Chuck Branch dissenting. Council also approved a property tax rate of $0.540199 per $100 property valuation by a vote of 5-2 with council members Branch and Charlie Philips opposed.

The approved budget is an approximate $24 million increase from last fiscal year's $409.15 million budget. The budget includes 41 new full-time positions and one new part-time position. Fourteen of these positions will be used for the McKinney Police Department and nine will be used for the parks and recreation department.

The proposed property tax rate is about a 3-cent decrease compared to the FY 2016-17 property tax rate, which is $0.573 per $100 property valuation.

Plans for downtown parking delayed


Council approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to sign an extension of 60 days to the parking garage development agreement. The resolution passed 4-3 with council members Branch, Tracy Rath and Philips opposed. This will allow city staff to further analyze options for the garage, including closing Herndon Street, which runs between the garage property and Thomason Tire.

Council proposes development of a comprehensive public transportation plan for Collin County


Council approved a resolution proposing the development of a comprehensive public transportation plan for Collin County.


The city of McKinney will seek funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Organization, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Federal Transit Administration and private companies to pay for the development of a strategic plan, according to city documents.

City manager gets green light for development agreements associated with potential annexations


Council voted 4-3, with council members Branch, Philips and Scott Elliott opposed, to allow the city manager to execute "all necessary development agreements in association with the pending municipal annexations generally located in the northwest sector of McKinney," according to city documents.

The pink areas show the proposed properties to be annexed in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction.[/caption]

All landowners will be given the option to sign a development agreement or annexation agreement, City Manager Paul Grimes said.

The development agreement would give landowners a three-year tax reimbursement. The annexation agreement, which includes agricultural, wildlife management or timber land, also provides the landowner with an ad valorem tax exemption status, according to city documents.