City Manager Judson Rex presented the city of Garland’s 2023-24 proposed budget to Mayor Scott LeMay and the City Council members at the July 31 work session. Items included in the budget and the budget calendar are below:
Budget priorities
- Focus on public safety
- Increase GFD staffing levels and maintain competitive pay in fire department
- Adjust police officer pay plan to increase attractiveness in a competitive market
- Increase personnel and operational funding as a result of bond program
- Strengthen citywide staffing from lean years to improve services with 44 new positions
- Maintain compensation/merit increases to stay competitive
- Continue funding master plans to provide direction on strategic priorities
- Maintain high levels of reserves to respond to unforeseen financial challenges
Focus on public safety
Fire Department
- Add nine firefighter positions (phased in approach)
- Increases in training, equipment, supplies and other operating funds
- Market adjustment + 3% merit = average of 4% for fire civil service
Police Department
- Pay plan adjustments to retain officers and attract laterals and new recruits
- Modify officer top-out time to eight years (prev. 12 years)
- Market adjustment + 3% merit – average of 10.3% for police civil service
- Expand Flock Program
Increase personnel and operational funding as a result of bond programs
Animal Services
- Animal Services officer and veterinary technician
- Increase in medical and operational supplies
Parks, Recreation & Cultural arts
- Two downtown grounds attendants and equipment
- One downtown and parks event/activation coordinator
- Hollabaugh Recreation Center attendant for re-opening
- Graffiti removal, mowing and other operational increases to maintain new facilities
- Various new and replacement equipment critical to expanded park operations
Library
- Library branding campaign (#StayCurious)
- One-time costs for Central Library re-opening
Maintain compensation/merit increases to stay competitive
- Average 3% merit increase for general schedule
- Increase retirement stability benefit city contribution from 2% to 2.25%
- Modest increase (2.5%) employee group health insurance contribution
- Compensation studies in 2022-23 for following departments to address retention, competitive in hiring and below market pay structures
- Dispatch
- Fleet Services – mechanic
- Sanitation, landfill, streets, Stormwater Management, Water, Wastewater, Facilities and various general fund departments – field positions such as equipment operator, driver
FY 2023-24 proposed budget includes funding for additional compensation studies
Maintain high levels of reserves to respond to unforeseen financial challenges
- Maintain fund balance reserve to have excess of 45 days of operating expenditures
- Provides for a source of funds to retain financial flexibility and mitigate against future inflationary pressures and increased probability of recession.
- Increase General Fund reserves requirement to 49 days
- Increase Electric Utility Fund requirement to 185 days
- Increase Water Utility Fund to 187 days
- Increase Sanitation Fund to 57 days
Continue funding master plans to provide direction on strategic priorities
- Funding for Envision Garland plan update
- Strategic plan for Code Compliance
- Neighborhood Vitality – spending plan to focus on remaining bond funds
- Citywide communications plan (external)
- Information Technology strategic plan
Other budget notes
- Plan to explore COLA options in 2024
- Director of Legislative Affairs and Governmental Relations
- Transportation program enhancements – Three traffic control workers and one-time funding for enhancing signs and markings program
- Customer Service staffing increase
The 2023 certified property tax base = $24.1 billion. This was a good increase. The property tax base grew 12.7%.
Proposed property tax rate for 2023-24 is 68.97 cents per $100 of valuation. This is the city’s lowest tax rate since FY 2008-09.
General Fund, GO Debt Service Fund, Utility Funds, Other Enterprise Funds, and Grant Funds
Consolidated Budget – $947.8 Million – decrease of $18.7 Million
General Fund – $235.4 Million – an Increase of $21.3 Million
Budget Calendar
- Monday, July 31 – Budget Preview – 6 p.m.
- Tuesday, Aug. 1 – Budget Presentation – 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Aug. 12 – Special Budget Work Session – 8:30 a.m.
- Department Presentations
- Budget Discussion
- Monday, Aug. 14 – Work Session – 6 p.m.
- Department Presentations
- Budget Discussion/Deliberation
- Tuesday, Aug. 15 – Regular Session – 7 p.m.
- Public Hearing on Budget
- Tuesday, Aug. 22 – Special Work Session – 6 p.m.
- Public Hearing on Budget
- Public Hearing on Tax Rate
- Budget Discussion/Deliberation
- Tuesday, Sept. 5 – Regular Meeting – 7 p.m.
- Public Hearing on Budget
- Public Hearing on Tax Rate
- Budget Adoption
- All budget meetings are open to the public and held at City Hall.