[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6589670,"mediaKeyId","5503291-56d19a610e4375c1e2f36d6ae42d6179","parentId",5503291,"title","Laredo unveils $1.01 billion proposed FY2026 budget; council adopts related policy resolutions including 10% administrative fee","audioSeconds",1211,"startMs",1753000,"endMs",2964000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5503291-56d19a610e4375c1e2f36d6ae42d6179&start=1753&end=2964","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5503291-56d19a610e4375c1e2f36d6ae42d6179/thumbnail_1753000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6589670/Laredo/Webb-County/Texas/Laredo-unveils-101-billion-proposed-FY2026-budget-council-adopts-related-policy-resolutions-including-10-administrative-fee","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6589670-ae3172c447321497dc2c741bf9b3ab8b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447891&Signature=ZG1ZE4O1RYZxxfKDaJ34pGZE748eYdRQH8LQ824oneJxTu4as8PmGaL0Z1MGkvdgvRd3Yg5RNMNQuetZrx2i685L1HVclfU-ISxJXUNfR64LVLfwyYXbqs8PwMaufDfKcYyGgrlNV-z6aVnZgxthD7DGFen82SVP9xCQOXxDkYZPnyMj2EEO7dL~JoTmmd9ofiR375Mi4eOtDFhY0MBgB8ZgBju3VD9LRNdZ8up28RVB8FthWefn5~M9OdFCkSmME6hWbX6rEoBvcJoHDL2hDVGU0xrP0PQf3II8-ajYzJN~ifNM9GDcNpRPZQqgPes80D2i705DQzLfwxyUV~SNMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Laredo","date","2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","article","City staff presented the proposed fiscal year 2026 consolidated budget to the Laredo City Council July 29, describing a $1,010,000,000 proposal that staff said represents a 2.8% increase over the prior year and includes roughly $82 million in general‑fund project investments funded through certificates of obligation, tax notes and PPFCOs.

Jesus Esparza of the budget department pointed council members to the itemized projects in the budget book: a proposed certificate of obligation issue of $32,900,000, a proposed tax note for $25,600,000 and a PPFCO issuance of $24,000,000. Staff said printed and USB copies of the budget were provided to the council and a public summary in English and Spanish would be posted on the city website by the following morning.

Council members discussed schedule and deadlines. Staff said the charter requires the manager to present a proposed budget at least 60 days before the fiscal year end; council staff identified August meetings for budget discussion and noted that the final readings and tax‑setting meetings must be completed before the end of September or in a special October session if needed.

A prominent topic in the staff report and discussion was an administrative overhead fee the budget includes to allocate indirect costs from enterprise funds back to the general fund. Staff explained this “administrative fee” covers functions such as the city manager’s office, human resources and finance when those services are provided to enterprise funds.

Council and staff debated the fee’s level and method. Staff said the budget was built with the administrative fee set at 10%. Council members asked whether a higher or lower percentage would affect residents or federal grant reimbursement. Staff said the fee is typically justified either by an indirect‑cost study or a percentage method recognized by federal guidance; they said 10% was conservative compared with some federal indirect‑cost allowances but intended to balance enterprise fund impacts and general‑fund recovery.

During the consent‑agenda and policy discussion, the council considered several financial resolutions that staff described as directives to guide future budgets, including debt management standards, reserves policies and a council district support fund policy for district‑level project funding. Council members asked staff to sharpen policy language and return with more detailed definitions and procedures when appropriate.

The council took a motion on the budget‑related resolutions and policies as amended (the record shows the motion was seconded and the measure passed with an expressed opposition). The motion included staff direction to return with expanded policy language, comparables and further detail where members requested it. Several council members said they wanted clearer language on fund balance usage and surplus transfers.

What they approved and next steps: Staff presented the budget proposal as required by the charter; the council approved the related policy resolutions as amended on July 29 and directed staff to provide additional policy details and schedule follow‑up budget workshops in August. Staff said the full budget book would be posted on the city website and that the council would proceed with required introductory and final readings in August and September to meet statutory deadlines.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Laredo - Special City Council","oneSentenceSummary","City staff presented a proposed FY2026 consolidated budget of roughly $1.01 billion and accompanying financial resolutions. Council approved budget policies as amended, including an administrative overhead fee set at 10 percent for enterprise funds, and scheduled follow‑up budget hearings in August and September.","taxTitle","Laredo, Webb County, Texas","taxId",2820,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6589675,"Laredo council hears police retention pleas, directs staff to continue contract talks",1320,183000,1503000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5503291-56d19a610e4375c1e2f36d6ae42d6179&start=183&end=1503","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5503291-56d19a610e4375c1e2f36d6ae42d6179/thumbnail_183000.jpg","/articles/6589675/Laredo/Webb-County/Texas/Laredo-council-hears-police-retention-pleas-directs-staff-to-continue-contract-talks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6589675-0ff0db2c670401e6962c902017887f14/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447891&Signature=NwJXhT-m2q5whE2xrhQgVg4zsJ251nPPczowPXBbkUoQ5MXDsPkZaT82Iq-62j3gmAzQp2IWEgWPjyo~5nQClMBJyYr4y4Pkfya3FoBOUbCYveYClu-ChV2Oy3xPwcannrqU1rzF5GYnn-4qpCD7NHr1N7uVRuvEO-RDOHRK9dakHBrCHxxSTb7I9cUMBVmqzIdzDdLvDBg4-yBGRXCsiIrASra0d10oBwCV5r~KyzFS3w9jy6DOIBn3Hgon0xXq0jJvfcl6DXZPxv13wJTO-YbHfLWJ1YSdgdlrsd9hYH9l8IuinRmRGn2PxdUlfYiBTRFGqZCs4nH6g3N8IHT7lA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor David Ramos opened a special meeting July 29 to ask the City Council to consider directing management to strengthen incentives and retention policies for the Laredo Police Department after the city lost its “safest city” ranking in some recent studies.

The council received public comment from police union and statewide association representatives who called for multi‑year contracts and competitive pay to curb an outflow of officers. Sergeant Alberto Ablosa, president of the Laredo Police Officers Association, told the council the department is “losing officers” and urged investment in retention: “We cannot afford to lose more experienced officers or fail to attract new ones.”

The nut of the discussion centered on a proposed directive from Mayor Ramos asking management to create or reinforce retention policies that could include multi‑year contract terms for newly hired officers. The mayor framed the issue as tied to public safety, citing measures such as traffic deaths, violent crime and officer retention where other cities have outperformed Laredo.

Speakers emphasized the financial and operational cost of turnover. Scott Leighton, president of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, said it takes “almost 2 years” and substantial expense to replace an officer and that it takes about five years to make an officer “fully rounded.” Robert Leonard, executive director of CLEAP (Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, per the transcript), told the council there are “about 70 open positions in the Laredo Police Department.”

Chief Rodriguez described staffing shortfalls in patrol and said the department’s patrol strength should be about 240 officers but is “about 210 at the patrol level” because of retirements, resignations and other separations. The chief said the department has seen double‑digit increases in some crime categories year‑to‑date and described ongoing changes to shift structures and technology investments intended to reduce response times.

Following the public comments the council voted to enter an executive session “pursuant to 5 5 5 1.071” for attorney consultation as part of the discussion the mayor described as a policy discussion rather than bargaining. After returning from executive session, the council reported that “discussions and policy were done” and that staff were directed to proceed with recommendations and to continue negotiations with the association. Council members said no final contract decision was made in the executive session; instead the council issued direction to management to continue talks and to develop retention proposals.

What this means for officers and budgets: witnesses at the podium warned that federal and other agencies are recruiting aggressively, sometimes offering signing bonuses and higher starting steps. Speakers and the chief asked the council for multiyear contract options to give the city and the department stability. Mayor Ramos and council members said they heard the testimony and will discuss the matters in follow‑up negotiations.

The council also allowed four public comments on the item before going into executive session and acknowledged those remarks would be considered in the continuing negotiations.

Staff direction and next steps: The council’s recorded action was a directive—staff were instructed to continue negotiations and to prepare recommendations for retention incentives and related policies. No final, council‑approved employment contract was adopted at the July 29 special meeting.

","After public testimony from local and statewide police associations and the police chief, the Laredo City Council held an executive session and directed staff to continue negotiations and develop retention incentives for the Laredo Police Department.","actionData","errors"]

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Laredo unveils $1.01 billion proposed FY2026 budget; council adopts related policy resolutions including 10% administrative fee

Laredo council hears police retention pleas, directs staff to continue contract talks