What happened
League City City Council voted 7-1 to approve the first reading of the budget at its Aug. 27 meeting.
Council member Tommy Cones voted against approving the first reading but did not comment on his decision at the meeting.
The details
City documents show the operating budget, which covers day-to-day city services, is expected to come in at $194.5 million—up $10 million from last year, according to previous reporting from Community Impact. The city’s general fund is expected to have a $2.6 million shortfall.
The budget proposes funding for three additional officer positions that were unfunded last year because a federal grant was not awarded, according to city documents. Another two officers and one sergeant are funded for 2026, bringing the civil service count to 149 sworn officers, along with the authority to “over-hire” four more to offset attrition. A new deputy fire marshal, EMT and cybersecurity engineer are also funded.
The budget also includes a robust multiyear capital improvement program, with $329.7 million across 121 projects, according to city documents.
What else?
Despite the no-new-revenue rate, the city’s taxable value is being significantly reduced due to a $100,000 exemption increase for seniors and disabled residents, according to city documents. Overall taxable values increased by 1.4% to $13.59 billion, excluding the exemption increase.
Looking ahead
If approved, the proposed budget will take effect Oct. 1, pending City Council adoption of the second and final budget reading at its Sept. 9 meeting.
