Richardson officials proposed a $20.4 million facilities and fleet budget for fiscal year 2026-27, which includes maintenance of city facilities, renovations and upgrades and new city vehicles.
Wayne Corum, director of facilities and fleet, presented the city’s budget and project plans to City Council on July 20.
Breaking it down
Three additional facilities are set to open in Richardson in the next year, including the new City Hall and Richardson Public Library, which Corum said will add about 53,000 square feet to city facilities, increasing maintenance and custodial expenses.
Other challenges include implementing new fleet software, staying on top of new mechanical systems and the rising costs of outsourced labor, materials and equipment, Corum said. For example, he said the cost of police car decals in 2026 rose by 23% compared to last year.
Corum proposed a $4.7 million facilities maintenance budget for FY 2026-27, an 8% increase compared to this year. He attributed the increase to rising electricity costs in the city’s new facilities and an increased use of outside services to manage specialized service repairs.
Despite the amount of service requests remaining relatively consistent in 2026, Corum said the city saw increased maintenance costs largely due to rising trade labor costs.
Corum also covered the city’s facilities work plan for next year, which includes:
- Patio doors and sidelights at Richardson Women’s Club
- Fire Training Center roof replacement and HVAC controls
- Service Center HVAC controls
- Fire Auxiliary Building HVAC controls
Ongoing special projects include HVAC replacements at multiple city facilities, security system upgrades at the municipal court and cell renovation at the detention center.
A closer look
Corum proposed a fleet general fund budget of $7.1 million for FY 2026-27, a 1% increase from this year. Corum said the city will decrease some outside contract work and is making its fuel systems more efficient to save on maintenance costs. The budget also factors in fuel cost increases.
Corum also proposed a $6.2 million capital replacement plan for 52 new vehicles, including:
- 12 police vehicles
- 3 fire and ambulance vehicles
- 1 animal control truck
- 10 parks vehicles
- 20 streets, waste and water vehicles
Also of note
Corum proposed a $2.3 million custodial services budget for FY 2026-27, a 1% reduction from this year.
The upcoming completion of City Hall and the library will create additional custodial needs, but Corum said the city has been able to improve custodial recruitment due to living wage increases. This enables the city to bring more labor in-house at a lower cost.
