Council members approved a $195.52 million appropriations budget and a $0.61 per $100 valuation tax rate at a Sept. 12 meeting.
“This [budget] is an increase of $46.86 million over fiscal year [2022-]2023,” Finance Director Robin Bromiley said.
No Celina residents chose to speak during the meeting’s two public hearings for the tax rate and budget.
The breakdown
The FY 2023-24 budget includes an additional $61.23 million for capital improvement projects from past bonds, according to budget documents. Some capital improvement projects include designing Wilson Creek Park, constructing a law enforcement center and more, Bromiley said.
The budget also includes a general fund budget of $44.31 million, which pays for the city’s primary operations.
The city is also adding 30 new positions across several departments, one of which is part time, according to budget documents.
Here is where each new full-time position will go:
- General government: four
- Public safety: 9.5
- Development and engineering: three
- Recreation and culture: six
- Public services: seven
What else?
While the new tax rate is approximately $0.02 lower than it was in 2022, it is expected to raise more in property taxes overall as property values rise, according to a meeting presentation.
Here is a brief look at how the $0.61 tax rate is dispersed in Celina:
- $0.315878 to maintenance and operations
- $0.296276 to interest and sinking, which pays back the city’s bond debt
Stay tuned
The new budget will go into effect Oct. 1.
