Katy approves budget increasing police funding, lowering tax rate

Katy City Council approved the 2020-21 budget and a lower tax rate at its Sept. 28 meeting held via Zoom.

The budget shows about $32 million in revenue and expenditures with the primary sources coming from property taxes at $13.6 million and sales taxes at $13.1 million. Service charges make up $2.5 million while licensing and permitting follow with $1.2 million. Fines and forfeitures total to about $687,000; grants total about $282,000; and interest earned comes out to around $222,200.

The city increased public safety to 60% of the total budget, Council Member Chris Harris said in a Facebook post.

The city prioritized the Katy Police Department and the Katy Fire Department in their newly approved budget with KPD funding increasing to $10.1 million from last year’s $9.9 million. The KFD increased to $6.84 million from last year’s $6.78 million.

The property tax rate was lowered 7%, from $0.48 to $0.447168 and is expected to save the average homeowner in the city about $48 on their tax bill.

“[Mayor Bill Hastings] has done a great job getting a balanced budget in a very difficult time and actually lowering the taxes of people,” Council Member Frank Carroll said. “I know that you put out the word back when this process started that you were going to have a balanced budget that was not going to increase taxes, and I know that a lot of folks worked on it—this council worked on it—and we have delivered for the people here tonight.”