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GET A, A FEW GOOD AMOUNT OF YEARS[Budget Work Session on August 11, 2026.]
BACK ON CITY COUNCIL OF LEAGUE CITY, TEXAS WILL NOW COME TO ORDER IN A BUDGET WORKSHOP ON AUGUST 11TH, 2026 AT 5:00 PM ROLL CALL.WE'LL START WITH PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I'LL GO ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LIST.
THANK YOU MAYOR PEGGY SAILOR, 1802 RAMPART.
UM, BEFORE I, UH, BEGIN MY COMMENTS, I'D LIKE TO ONCE AGAIN, UM, THANK ANGIE STEELMAN AND HER STAFF FOR NUMBER ONE, ALWAYS PROVIDING EXCELLENT PRESENTATIONS.
AND I DON'T APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS OF THE PRESENTATIONS UNTIL I'M OUT OF TOWN AND TRYING TO STAY INFORMED REMOTELY.
SO ANGIE AND STAFF, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, LOOKING AT THE, THE CIP BUDGET, UM, LAST YEAR, OBVIOUSLY WE, UH, WE REALLY RAMPED UP THE BUDGET, BUT WHEN I ANALYZED IT, AND I NEED, UM, YOU TO TELL ME WHETHER I'M LOOKING AT THIS CORRECTLY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION PROPOSED FOR 2027, I RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WERE MANY PROJECTS THAT WERE SLATED IN THE 2026 BUDGET.
UM, THAT, I WON'T SAY THERE WERE ONE TIME, BUT THERE WERE BIG HITS.
LIKE ONE I CAN THINK OF IS, UH, PURCHASING OUR LIGHTS FROM TEXAS, NEW MEXICO.
SO WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT AND WHEN I LOOKED AT SOME OF OUR LARGE DOLLAR DRAINAGE PROJECTS, SOME OF OUR LARGE DOLLAR ROAD PROJECTS, ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT 206 MILLION REDUCTION IN THE CIP BUDGET FOR 2027 WASN'T QUITE AS SHOCKING TO ME.
I, I WOULD SAY THAT LOOKING AT WHAT THE SURROUNDING CITIES ARE EXPERIENCING AS A RESULT OF SOME OF THE DECISIONS MADE AT THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, I, I TRY TO REMIND MYSELF HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE.
WE'RE IN A CITY WHERE WE'RE GROWING, WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE, I HOPE, UNLESS THE ECONOMY CRAT FOR QUITE A WHILE, BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE'LL NOT HAVE THAT LUXURY.
AND LOOKING AROUND AT THE CITIES, UM, THAT ARE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW AND WITH THE INCREASED COST FOR, UM, EVERYTHING BASICALLY IS GETTING TO BE A REAL CHALLENGE.
SO I KNOW YOU'LL BE VERY CAREFUL AS WE GO FORWARD RECOGNIZING THAT THESE ARE REALLY THE GOOD TIMES.
AND I'M NOT SAYING IN ANY WAY TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE ABOVE THE NEW, THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE.
BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS PLEASE BALANCE EVERYTHING BECAUSE I THINK MOST OF US WOULD SAY AN EXTRA 10 OR $20 A YEAR OR $70 IF IT PROVIDES SUSTAINABILITY IN THE FUTURE FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROTECT OUR CITIZENS, IT'S WORTH IT.
I KNOW YOU'RE MAKING THOSE JUDGEMENTS, IT'S TRADE OFF, IT'S VERY TEMPTING, BUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME THE GOOD TIMES WILL END.
AND I JUST WANNA BE SURE WHETHER WE'RE AROUND OR NOT WHEN THEY DO END, WE HAVE ADEQUATELY PREPARED FOR THAT.
AND NOW ON ITEM THREE, DISCUSSION REGARDING THE CITY OF LEAGUE CITY PROPOSED FY 27 BUDGET AND FY 27 THROUGH 2031 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, TONIGHT'S WORKSHOP AGENDA, WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE CERTIFIED TAXABLE VALUES, THE CALCULATION FOR THE NO NEW REVENUE PROPERTY TAX RATE AND THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE.
ANSWER ANY OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AND THEN ALSO RECEIVE, UH, FEEDBACK FROM THE COUNCIL.
UH, THIS MEETING IS OUR LAST CHANCE TO ACTUALLY GET THE FEEDBACK, UH, FROM THE BODY AS A WHOLE ABOUT WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE ORDINANCE.
THAT WILL BE BEFORE YOU FOR FIRST READING ON 8 25, WHICH IS OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO WE DID GET CERTIFIED TAXABLE VALUES.
THE, UH, VALUES DID INCREASE FROM 13.25 BILLION TO 13.45 BILLION.
WE DO HAVE A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OF 35.65 CENTS.
THAT IS A REDUCTION FROM THE CURRENT RATE OF 36.355.
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THIS IS A CHART THAT SHOWS, UH, THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX THAT WAS RECEIVED IN 25, WHAT'S ESTIMATED FOR THE CURRENT YEAR AND WHAT'S PROGRAMMED IN THE BUDGET FOR 27 AT THIS TIME, AND THE AMOUNT THAT GOES TO GENERAL FUND VERSUS THE AMOUNT THAT GOES TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.THERE IS A ONE, UH, ADJUSTMENT THAT WE MENTIONED IN OUR FIRST WORKSHOP.
UM, AFTER A PUBLISHING, THE BOOKS STAFF FOUND THAT THERE WAS A DUPLICATE OF BUDGET ALLOCATION IN THE HOT FUNDS.
IT'S FOR A, UH, TOUCHSCREEN KIOSK AND IT WAS ACTUALLY INCLUDED TWICE IN ERROR.
SO WE CAN REMOVE $28,000, UM, FROM THE HOT FUND IF THE COUNCIL SO CHOOSES.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE PREPARED TO INCLUDE IN THE, UH, BUDGET ORDINANCE UNLESS WE HEAR OTHERWISE THIS EVENING.
AND SO WITH THAT CHANGE, THIS IS JUST WHAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET LOOKS LIKE VERSUS THE CHANGES.
ALSO WANTED TO UPDATE YOU ON THE BOND ISSUANCE.
UH, AT OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, BIDS WILL BE DUE AND THE COUNCIL WILL BE ASKED TO APPROVE AN OR AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE BONDS.
THE CLOSING AND DELIVERY OF PROJECT FUNDS WOULD BE ON SEPTEMBER 23RD.
AND THEN STAFF WOULD ANTICIPATE BRINGING FORWARD THE AWARD AT PAT HAL PARK CONSTRUCTION AND THE SWF EXPANSION ON OCTOBER 13TH.
WE DID MEET WITH THE FOUR B CORPORATION ON AUGUST 3RD AND THE FOUR B DID, UM, ADOPT THE AMENDED INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY AND THEY ALSO ADOPTED THEIR 27 CORPORATION BUDGET AS WELL.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE THE FORWARD LOOKING SCHEDULE.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, WE DO HAVE TIME SET ASIDE ON THE AUGUST 25TH MEETING AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
IF THE COUNCIL FEELS THAT THEY NEED IT, THAT'S TIME THAT'S EARMARKED.
IF THEY DON'T, THEN JUST LET US KNOW AT THAT SAME COUNCIL MEETING.
WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE.
SEPTEMBER 8TH WOULD BE OUR SECOND AND FINAL READING ON THAT BUDGET ORDINANCE AND ADOPTION OF THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
AND THAT WAS EVERYTHING I HAD FOR TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION QUESTIONS, TOM.
SO ANGIE, AT THIS, AT THIS POINT, IF WE WANTED TO JUST HAVE LIKE AN INDIVIDUAL BUDGET ITEM, WOULD THIS BE THE TIME TO SAY, HEY, MAYBE WE NEED TO TO PULL IT OFF OR, AND OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO A LITTLE BIT LATER? THE WHERE I'M GOING CASE IN POINT WOULD BE, UH, THE FLOCK CAMERAS IF WE, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE NEXT, OUR ACTUAL COUNCIL MEETING GOES TO.
IF, IF WE HAVEN'T ALLOCATED MONEY, WE CAN CANCEL THE CONTRACT WITHOUT AN ISSUE.
AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE HAVE TO GO INTO THAT MUCH DETAIL NOW OR IF WE CAN JUST DO THAT LATER.
SO, SO AT THIS, AT THIS MEETING, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY WE WOULD, UH, MAKE SURE THERE'S SOME CONSENSUS ON ANY CHANGES.
UM, THERE'S NOTHING THOUGH THAT WOULD PRECLUDE YOU OR A COUNCIL MEMBER MAKING AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE BUDGET.
CERTAINLY IF YOU WANNA REMOVE SOMETHING THAT'S EASIER THAN ADDING SOMETHING.
AND THAT COULD BE DONE WHEN WE GO THROUGH AND APPROVE THE BUDGET ORDINANCE FOR THE FIRST READING ON THE 25TH OR THE LAST READING ON IN SEP SEPTEMBER 8TH, IF I REMEMBER THE DATE, RIGHT? YES SIR.
SO, AND OF COURSE WE CAN BUDGET IT AND NOT SPEND IT.
SO IT'S, AND THEN REALLOCATE IT BACK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IS, IS THAT THE CASE? IF WE, IF WE BUDGET IT PER THE, PER THE CONTRACT, IT, IT SEEMED LIKE IF WE'RE NOT OUT, IF WE'RE ALLOCATING TO IT AND THEN WE PULL IT OUT, WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM.
I WOULD ASSUME WE'D JUST DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT AT THAT TIME AND CHANGE IT.
SO THE CONTRACT HAS A NO ALLOCATION PROVISION IN IT THAT ALLOWS YOU TO, YOU KNOW, CANCEL IT.
I THINK THAT PERHAPS IF THAT'S THE ROUTE WE WANNA GO DOWN, MAYBE UH, EMAIL A MEMO FROM CITY ATTORNEY WOULD BE BETTER BEFORE WE START MAKING THOSE CHANGES TODAY.
UM, I WAS, IT WAS JUST A QUESTION.
WE, WE ALSO TALKED AT THE LAST, UM, BUDGET MEETING ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL CODE ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE.
UM, I HAD A LONG CONVERSATION WITH JOHN I GUESS LAST WEEK AND UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT POSITION PUT IN, BUT I UNDERSTAND
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THAT WE'RE TO THE POINT WHERE, UH, WE WOULD HAVE TO RAISE THE TAXES ABOVE THE NO NEW REVENUE, WHICH, UH, I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S VERY FAVORABLE HERE, BUT I DO WANT TO ASK JOHN TO LOOK AT MAYBE THE THIRD QUARTER AND COUNCIL LOOK AT IT.ALSO, IF WE FIND MONEY TO, UH, MAYBE TRY TO INCLUDE THAT, UH, CITY'S GROWING.
WE GOT A LOT OF CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES.
THE TASK FORCE, UH, WOULD BE A, A GREAT ITEM TO INCLUDE AND, AND THEIR SERVICES, UH, OR THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE LIGHT ANYWAY.
SO I THINK BY ADDING ANOTHER ONE WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF WE CAN FIND THE MONEY.
SO JUST TO, UH, YOU KNOW, FYI IN THE FUTURE, IF WE CAN FIND THE MONEY, LET'S PUT IT IN.
ANYONE ELSE? WHAT WAS THE TOTAL ON THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT? THE TOTAL IS 1 55, 470.
AND DOES INCLUDE A VEHICLE THAT AND INCLUDES THE VEHICLE? YES SIR.
HOW MUCH IS THE VEHICLE? IT'S ABOUT 55.
ABOUT 50,000? I WAS GONNA SAY ABOUT $55,000 OF RECURRING COST? YES SIR.
AND HAS ANGIE EXPLAINED LAST TIME? I THINK WE'VE PRETTY CONSERVATIVE IN OUR SALES TAX ESTIMATE RELATIVE TO HISTORIC, ALTHOUGH THIS YEAR SALES TAXES DOWN BELOW WHAT WE ESTIMATED.
SO THERE IS POTENTIAL TO SEE IF THEY REBOUND A LITTLE BIT AND HAVE A CONVERSATION COME, YOU KNOW, JULY NEXT YEAR.
ANYONE ELSE? WE GOT A LOT OF TIME
I THINK BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING TODAY, REALLY NO CHANGES TO THE BUDGET.
WE'RE GONNA PREPARE A BUDGET ORDINANCE FOCUSED ON THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, AS WE, AS WE DISCUSSED, IF WE, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO TAKE SOMETHING OUT OF THE BUDGET, THOSE ARE PRETTY EASY CHANGES TO MAKE AND WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WHEN WE HAVE THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE.
YEAH, MAYOR, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAYBE SEE FROM JOHN A LIST OF CIP PROJECTS THAT ARE FUNDED THAT HAVE NOT BEEN, UH, STARTED OR COMPLETED.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TOO.
I THINK WE CARRY A LOT OF PROGRAMS YEAR TO YEAR, BUT, UM, HAVING, HAVING THAT, UH, WOULD BE HELPFUL INFORMATION, JUDGE.
UH, JUST SO ANGIE, I KNOW I, I KNOW, I KNOW THAT, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE GO OVER THIS BECAUSE I'M ACTUALLY ASK A COUNCIL A QUESTION.
SO IF WE, WHATEVER WE ASSIGN TONIGHT IS NOT FINAL, IT'S JUST WHATEVER WE ASSIGN, WE CANNOT GO ABOVE.
IS THAT CORRECT ON THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, THE PROPOSED? YES, MA'AM.
SO DURING THE COUNCIL MEETING, THERE IS AN ITEM, UH, THERE'S TWO ITEMS. ONE IS, UM, INFORMATIONAL ONLY.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE VALUATIONS AND THE TAX ROLL, WHAT THOSE CALCULATIONS ARE.
THE SECOND ITEM, UM, IS FOR THE COUNCIL TO PROPOSE A PROPERTY TAX RATE, WHATEVER, WHICHEVER RATE IS CHOSEN TO BE PROPOSED.
YOU CAN EITHER ADOPT THAT RATE OR A RATE THAT'S LOWER, BUT YOU CANNOT ADOPT A RATE THAT IS HIGHER THAN THE PROPOSED RATE.
AND THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE BASED ON WHAT THE RATE IS AND WHERE IT FALLS BETWEEN THE NO NEW REVENUE AND THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE CALCULATIONS, THERE'S DIFFERENT TRIGGERS BY STATE LAW AS FAR AS WHAT HAS TO OCCUR.
SO IF YOU GOT CLOSER TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, YOU PROBABLY NEED A PUBLIC HEARING AND IT HAS TO BE, IT HAS TO OCCUR WITHIN SO MANY DAYS FROM THIS DATE TO THAT DATE.
AND EVERYTHING IS DETAILED ON THE DATA SHEET.
UM, THE STAFF DID, UH, PREPARE THE ITEM AT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AS INSTRUCTED BY THE COUNCIL GOALS AND HOW THE BUDGET WAS PREPARED.
SO, UM, TONIGHT'S ITEM IS AT THE, UM, 3 5 6 5 0 5 RATE, UH, TO FUND THE 27 BUDGET AS IT STANDS CURRENTLY.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS AT FIVE 14, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.