The Jersey Village City Council approved a $17 million budget for fiscal year 2021-22 on Aug. 16. Additionally, the council approved a property tax rate of $0.7425 per $100 valuation—up from $0.723466 in FY 2020-21.

Mayor Bobby Warren said the council has made tax cuts whenever possible. The no-new-revenue tax rate of $0.691336 per $100 valuation would have brought in the same amount of revenue as the previous fiscal year, but council members could have approved a rate as high as $0.888379 per $100 valuation before voter approval was required, according to city documents.

“The job of council is to try to balance that [budget] and propose a budget that tries to keep taxes as low as possible while continuing to meet the high expectations that our citizens have that they rightfully have,” Warren said.

Several residents expressed opposition to the increased tax rate, including Michael Stembridge, who said his family is a low-income household and that he believes they are not benefiting from property taxes since their home is in a flood-prone area.

“We just want the lowest tax rate possible,” he said at the City Council meeting. “Especially given our situation.”

Although Council Members James Singleton and Drew Wasson voted to decrease the city's $20 million capital budget, it was ultimately approved and will help fund projects such as the Jersey Meadow Golf Course clubhouse and a new city hall at Village Center.

The FY 2021-22 budget also includes $2.1 million for the city's fire department and $4.1 million for police department operations.