Editor’s note: Does not include all city departments
Plano Fire-Rescue:
- $52.3 million budget approved, an increase of $1.7 million
- The additional funding provides for increases to the emergency medical services control contract, replacement and purchase of automated electronic defibrillators, 15 additional Life Paks and other fire equipment.
- Plano Fire-Rescue’s average response time for fire and EMS calls last year was 5.46 minutes.
Plano police:
- $64.8 million budget approved, an increase of $3.4 million
- A significant portion of the funding ($1.28 million) is allocated to hire and equip eight new positions and six neighborhood patrol officers, one background inspector and a records assistant.
- The budget also includes funding for body cameras, automated vehicle location software and other technology equipment.
- Last year, the Plano Police Department answered Priority 1 calls within 4.7 minutes and all calls within 7.3 minutes.
Public Safety Communications:
- $6.9 approved budget, an increase from $6.4 million
- Funding includes $280,726 for the hiring of five dispatchers and $5,624 for additional computers for the department’s training room.
- The department expects to handle nearly 1,200 calls a day in 2015-16.
Water & sewer:
- The budget includes water and sewer rate increases of 10 percent due to increases expected to be approved by the North Texas Municipal Water District in September.
- Plano estimates its revenue will increase by 9 percent, or $10.9 million.
Sustainability & Environmental Services:
- $26 million budget, up from $25.5 million
- Supports Plano’s solid waste collection service, compost operations, commercial recycling and environmental education and sustainability efforts.
- Plano residents and businesses produce 57,000 tons of trash and almost 19,000 tons of recycling a year. Plano residents and businesses produce 57,000 tons of trash and almost 19,000 tons of recycling a year.
Environmental Health :
- $1.5 million budget approved, up from $1.4 million
- Additional funding will provide for one additional specialist position to meet inspection protocols for restaurants, swimming pools and other health-related complaints.
- Last year, the Environmental Health Department performed 5,394 food inspections and 806 pool inspections.
Parks and Recreation:
- $25.9 million budget approved, an increase from $23.8 million
- The budget includes $1.3 million in additional funding to operate and maintain projects that will be completed next year, including Jack Carter Pool, Carpenter Recreation Center pool and McCall Plaza.
- The department manages 84 parks and 70 recreational trail miles.
Plano Public Library:
- $11.4 million budget approved, an increase of $508,752
- The budget includes $1 million for books, $125,000 for eBooks and one librarian position.
- Plano’s library services date back to 1884 when Louise Ernestine Rammers Schimelpfenig opened her personal book collection to the community.
Planning Dept:
- $2.9 million budget approved, a decrease from $3 million, which reflects the reassignment of one division into the Neighborhood Services Department.
- The budget includes funding for two new positions to support Plano’s Geographic Information System and development review activities.
Neighborhood services:
- $4.4 million budget approved for this new department, which combines the Property Standards Department with the Community Development division of the Planning Department.
- The budget includes $1 million in matching grant funding for Plano’s Great Update Rebate program and neighborhood improvements, as well as funding for a full-time neighborhood engagement management.
- The department administers Plano’s Love Where You Live project and the Great Update Rebate program, as well as the city’s first-time homebuyers program and other home revitalization grant programs.
Community Investment Program:
- Approval of the first year of this five-year guide to the city’s capital projects includes $178 million approved for capital projects, including $79 million from bond-related funds, $51.3 million for water and sewer projects and $40.8 million for capital reserve projects.
- The operating budget includes $1.8 million in CIP operating expenditures, including the addition of six full-time employees and 63 part-time employees. This amount will also pay for new furniture and fixtures for the new facilities.
Convention and Tourism Fund:
- $10.6 million budget approved, an increase from $8.7 million
- The fund is provided by $7.9 million in anticipated hotel/motel taxes, an increase of 25.9 percent from 2014-15.
- The fund provides support for Visit Plano, Plano Centre, historic preservation projects, cultural arts programs and special events.
- $1.1 million is allocated for the replacement of Plano Centre’s parking lot, to be completed in 2016.
Building inspections:
- $3.5 million budget approved, up from $3.4 million
- Staff expects to issue 18,000 building permits and conduct 57,500 inspections in 2015-16.
Public works:
- $7.9million budget approved, an increase from $6.1million
- Budget includes $1 million to purchase land for storing sand, salt and other de-icing materials.
Technology services:
- $16.2 million budget approved, an increase from $15.2 million
- The department provides the technology infrastructure for city staff and residents on a number of levels with multiple departments.
Engineering:
- $3.5 million budget approved, up from $2.7 million
- Additional funding will provide for two senior engineer positions to assist in the implementation of the Community Investment Program and review of private development projects, as well as one traffic signal technician.
