Celina City Council discussed the proposed budget and a potential property tax decrease at a meeting Aug. 4.
The details
City Manager Robert Ranc presented the proposed budget to the council at the meeting. Ranc said he and staff focused on fiscal responsibility, public safety, development, infrastructure maintenance and employee retention when creating the budget proposal.
Officials are also proposing a property tax decrease from $0.64 to $0.576401 per $100 valuation as part of the budget. Despite this, the average tax bill for residents is expected to increase by $7 a month due to rising property valuations.
About 47% of the budget is dedicated to public safety, with plans to increase staffing to improve services. Ranc said city management is looking to make new hires across several departments.
The numbers
The general fund budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year is $63 million, an increase of about $9 million from the previous year. About 70% of the general fund is proposed to pay for personnel costs.
The largest sources of revenue for the city are property tax and development fees.
Property tax accounts for 39% of the city’s revenue while development fees make up 34%. Ranc said the hope is for sales tax, which generates about 9% of the city’s revenue, to surpass what development fees bring into Celina.
The specifics
The number of new police and fire personnel will depend on whether the city receives grants meant to help pay for them.
The city will hire 10 new police officers if it receives a COPS grant through a U.S. Department of Justice program meant to enhance police presence in communities. These could include:
- Four patrol officers
- Two school resource officers
- A community services sergeant
- A digital forensic detective
- A juvenile detective/victims advocate
- A crime analyst
The new officers and hires across city staff would bring the city’s total number of full-time employees to 81, if grants are secured.
What else?
Ranc said city management received numerous requests for more staff throughout multiple departments.
“They were all valid, needed requests for personnel,” Ranc said.
Staff requested 92 new positions, some of which could be eligible for grants. With grants, the city can pay to fill 44 of these positions with the proposed budget, Ranc said.
New positions could include:
- More development services staff
- More building inspectors
- A Rental inspector
What’s next?
City Council will review the budget again during a work session Aug. 12. City Council will consider approving the budget Sept. 9.
