City council adopted a budget Tuesday of $230.9 million for fiscal year 2018 along with a property tax rate of $0.31762 per $100 of taxable value after residents offered differing opinions on the rate considered. However, the budget will need to be amended because the adopted tax rate leaves it with a shortfall. A budget needed to be adopted to meet required deadlines. “We adopted a budget, and we’ve adopted a tax rate that doesn’t fully fund that budget,” Mayor Joe Zimmerman said. “Now we’re going to have to modify the budget. That budget modification is going to be on our agenda for next Tuesday night, and we’ll take action on that.”   Rising property tax rates discussed At the beginning of the meeting, 11 residents spoke before the council, with some supporting a tax increase and others opposing it. Residents Kelly Knake and Tom Demont said the city has invested wisely in the past, especially in efforts during and after Hurricane Harvey. “I trust in this council to spend this increase properly,” Knake said. “And as soon as we can, [they should] decrease it.” Another resident, Kelley Glore, said she strongly opposes a tax increase. She said her neighborhood in Settlers Park was severely damaged by Harvey, and a tax increase would not be appropriate at this time. Resident Diana Miller said she is also against the tax raise. “Fort Bend ISD just announced that they are lowering the tax rate by two cents and giving all of their teachers a pay increase,” Miller said. “If the school district can dig down far enough, find that money, then I believe the city of Sugar Land can also do the same.”   FY 2018 budget and 2017 property tax rate adopted Council members approved the proposed $230.9 million budget, the result of a 4-to-3 vote with council members Mary Joyce, Carol McCutcheon, and Amy Mitchell opposed. After much discussion, council members then adopted a tax rate of $0.31762 per $100 valuation of property, which is a .2 cent increase from the current tax rate. The adopted tax rate passed with a vote of 5-to-2, with Joyce and Mitchell opposing. “My concern is if we see a reduction in sales tax it’s because people don’t have money to spend,” Mitchell said, referring to the city's projected decline in sales tax. “If we increase taxes, people that don’t have money to spend on shopping, I don’t see how they’re going to have money to spend on taxes.” Of the $0.31762 per $100 of taxable value, $0.17921 would go towards the general maintenance and operations fund, and $0.13841 would go to the debt service fund, said Jennifer Brown, Sugar Land’s director of finance. The new rate of $0.31762 would reduce the city’s property tax revenue by $601,000 but would be able to support the $22 million capital improvement plan for FY 2018, she said.   Emergency purchases ratified Council members ratified the $141,450 purchase of Tiger Dams and related equipment from U.S. Flood Control Corporation. The city bought 100 Tiger Dams, water-filled tubes used to divert or contain floodwaters, and related equipment, to place throughout the city to stop rising flood waters, according to meeting documents. One Tiger Dam can replace 500 sandbags, said Eric Oscarson, assistant director of public works. It’s a more efficient and durable method to sandbags, Oscarson said. Payment for the Tiger Dams would come out of the FY 2017 general fund, spokesperson Doug Adolph said. The expenses would be 100 percent reimbursable by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Oscarson said. City council also approved two contract amendments, one with T.F.R. Enterprises in an amount not to exceed $490,000 for debris removal and another with Tetra Tech in the amount of $101,000 for debris monitoring services. Both debris removal and debris monitoring services will be funded from the solid waste fund, according to meeting documents. The work is eligible for 90 percent reimbursement from FEMA, according to meeting documents.   “Hands free” ordinance repealed City council voted unanimously to repeal the city’s “hands-free” ordinance, which outlawed the holding or touching of electronic devices while driving. City police first requested the ordinance be repealed after state lawmakers passed House Bill 62, the “no texting while driving” bill, which contains clauses that prevent municipalities from adopting ordinances that would preempt the bill, said Assistant Chief of Police Scott Schultz. Under House Bill 62, which went into effect Sept. 1, drivers may still use their mobile devices for some purposes but not for texting.   Damaged property to be reappraised City council unanimously approved a resolution to have damaged properties in the city reappraised, which will lower the taxable value of storm-damaged property. After the Fort Bend County Central Appraisal District adjusts and finalizes the values, taxes will be prorated based on the number of days left in the year after the disaster occurred, which is Aug. 28, according to meeting documents. The CAD will only adjust for homes that request the reappraisal, according to the documents. “The property owners have the right to refuse reappraisal if they do not want it,” Brown said. The original appraised value will apply for the percent of the year before Harvey took place, 65 percent, and the adjusted appraised value will apply for the remainder of the year, 35 percent, according to meeting documents. For residents who have already paid taxes, refunds will be issued. “This is a small way that we can provide relief to those folks affected [by Harvey],” Zimmerman said. “There are about 260 homes in Sugar Land that have received water.”