Cleburne City Council is in the process of adopting its Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which continues its conservative approach to revenues and expenditures and invests in infrastructure, services, and economic growth.
City Council held a budget workshop at its Aug. 10 meeting. The annual budget outlines the City’s expenditures and revenues for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, 2021.
“In 10 years of serving this community that is the best budget I’ve ever seen,” Mayor Scott Cain said. “We are able to reduce our tax rate and the tax bill for our residents and still provide a lot of bang for the buck.”
The budget includes a lower proposed tax rate. At $0.690498 per $100 of valuation, the proposed ad valorem tax rate represents a decrease of $0.0696 from our current tax rate ($0.760092) or approximately 6.96-cents per $100 of valuation. The City is able to once again reduce its ad valorem tax rate due to new development, cost savings initiatives, a reduction in our debt payment, and an increase in existing property values.
The $99 million budget continues City Council’s goals including a focus on proactive infrastructure projects, maintaining safe and clean neighborhoods, economic development, building a strong workforce, and enhancing the level of care and maintenance for City facilities, grounds, and equipment.
The budget includes funding for infrastructure improvements including drainage, water and wastewater facilities, and $2.5 million to continue the multiyear investment in street reconstruction. It also addresses the replacement of aging city vehicles including police cars, an ambulance, two dump trucks, sanitation trucks and more.
The proposed budget continues direct investment in our community by extending programs such as the façade improvement matching incentive, downtown building rehabilitation, infill lot impact fee rebate, and the community investment program with Christmas in Action better known as the HOPE program.
The budget features funds to improve facilities community members use on a daily basis including new parks maintenance equipment, replacing the carpet at the Library, new gym floor and equipment at the Booker T. Washington Recreation Center, new flooring for the Senior Center, Sports Complex improvements, plantings and amenities at McGregor Park, and much more.
The $99 million budget represents a $14 million increase from the previous fiscal year. This is primarily due to major drainage, water and wastewater capital projects, as well as increased costs for good and services, and proposed capital assets.
The City continues its conservative approach to revenue estimates with a pursuit of economic development opportunities, operational cost savings, grant funding, and public/private partnerships.
Timeline
There are still more public hearings and public notices before the budget and tax rate are officially adopted for the new fiscal year.
August 24 | Required public hearings for the FY 2022 budget and tax rate |
September 14 | Second public hearing on the FY 2022 budget with approval vote and adoption of the tax rate |
October 1 | New fiscal year begins |
Watch the presentation
Review the proposed FY 2022 Budget Document