Zooming out
Director of Administrative Services Katina Hampton presented a preliminary budget to City Council during its June 5 meeting, Community Impact previously reported.
The breakdown
For FY 2023-24, the city of Friendswood is projecting $118.2 million in total revenue and $118.2 million in total expenditures, according to the proposed budget.
Among its projected FY 2023-24 general fund revenues, Friendswood is anticipating:
- $12.2 million in sales taxes
- $25.6 million in property taxes
- $37.1 million use of fund balance
- $14.3 million for police
- $5.7 million for the parks department
- $3.7 million for the fire department
- $2.6 million for public works
- $2.1 million for IT
Almost half of the city’s projected expenditures are for capital improvements, Hampton said.
City staff is recommending a tax rate of $0.50836, which is $0.21 above the city’s FY 2022-23 tax rate of $0.4873. Staff estimated the city’s taxable value at $5 billion, which is up $130 million from last year.
“As values have increased, we’ve been able to lower the tax rate, so in 2023, the tax rate we used to develop the budget is almost $0.07 less than 14 years ago,” Hampton said before adding that the reason the city has been able to lower its tax rate is the increase in the city’s taxable value, which has risen to $5 billion from $2.4 billion in 2011.
Factors contributing to the need for a tax rate increase this fiscal year include the issuance of bonds, paying emergency management services and maintenance expenses for new projects, according to agenda documents from the June 5 meeting.
What else?
City staff is also proposing a $785,000 merit increase for city employees, citing the rising cost of living.
“I and my predecessor do salary surveys annually, so we’re not doing forklift updates at any given time,” City Manager Morad Kabiri said.
Stay tuned
Council voted to host a budget public hearing Aug. 28 and will vote to adopt the budget Sept. 11.
