City Budget Workshop Highlights
By: Lauren Decker | HTNA Civic affaris chair
Budget Workshop Highlights:
The Richardson City Council and City staff met on July 25th and 26th for their Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget Workshop. The two meetings lasted for a combined total of nearly 5 hours. Below, I have highlighted a few portions from the workshop. I have also included screenshots from the City’s presentation; check those out as they contain greater detail and financial breakdowns.
With 113 employee vacancies for the City of Richardson, this budget is full of incentives to retain current employees and recruit new ones.
20 year Retirement
- Proposing change from 25 yr to 20 yr
- All other 12 comparable cities are 20 yr
6% merit based pay increase for police, fire, and general city employees
Public Safety
Both Police and Fire departments will receive additional funding for equipment and personnel.
- 3 additional police officers for
the Patrol Division
- 9 additional fire positions
Inflation means increased bills
- Water and Sewer services and material cost more
• 1.9% increase to cover this
•Price increase of about $27 per year for residents
- Solid Waste Services (Trash/Recycling/BABIC)
• Cost covers increase in fuel, trucks, and market based pay increases for staff
• Price increase of about $36 per year for residents
General Fund Revenue
- Estimating about $17.19 million in additional revenue
•Sales tax projected to grow 2.0%
• Property tax set at 3.5% (capped due to SB2)
Library
- Funds ($3,758,247) going to library as they prep for changes due to the 2021
Bond Program
-Temporary site still to be determined while renovations take place at the library. Will also
have satellite locations at senior center, recreation centers, and in the new IQ area.
- Fines
• “We’re suggesting to you, for the betterment of the community, we would
forgo those fines (about $30K) and we would let our library staff work with these
folks on customized individual solutions if that’s what it needs to be to make sure that
everybody has access to the library.” - City Manager Don Magner
•Councilman Corcoran shared that the library board did unanimously vote to approve this
policy and recommends this.
This workshop was the preliminary step in approving the future budget. The next steps are:
•August 12th, the City Manager will file the budget
•August 15th, the City Manager will present the budget
•August 22nd, public hearing on the tax rate
•August 29th, public hearing on the adoption of the budget.
At the end of the workshop, Mayor Voelker said, “As I look at this budget, I’m blown away. This is one of the better budgets, from a positioning standpoint, that I've seen in a long time.”
If you have questions or comments on this proposed budget, reach out to council members, tune in for the next several meetings, and maybe even make a comment during the public hearings.
( credit: the graphics below are screenshots from the July 25th & 26th City Council Budget Workshop presentations.)