[{"_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",6507280,"mediaKeyId","5595901-d4dab981f29addd5fd99f89dfcff068f","parentId",5595901,"title","City Manager presents proposed FY 2025–26 budget; highlights water/sewer rate increases, compensation proposals and capital plans","audioSeconds",5090,"startMs",388000,"endMs",5478000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5595901-d4dab981f29addd5fd99f89dfcff068f&start=388&end=5478","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5595901-d4dab981f29addd5fd99f89dfcff068f/thumbnail_388000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6507280/Richardson/Dallas-County/Texas/City-Manager-presents-proposed-FY-202526-budget-highlights-watersewer-rate-increases-compensation-proposals-and-capital-plans","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6507280-7dcba026323676eac3b3b351544c2590/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443428&Signature=Sa2rRN5AaTDXeD3Q1OC8WKvb83lYu-4tkLsUJThYmv~q0WVkUYKmSxPzVQTmew-40~Aau2wgf8QIXD4US8fGKbqh0sOL3WMtmiqmGo7djPHmVmuSSzLnxP2o24v0yTs87foluThzEnjxtsEAfeyhfPWhFG1YPT9g66XoE43yvLD9oCaAnSTEFS580dIT~2ri1yaLKsMPV3d4KvAgQayNHdJqHEE3DRhvNdUOIBaAD48Q~R~9KqkW7gwJ3syATHWvc~TXfQ57gg7x~Zu04aXIIllnDxtF7pQ8~WwkxG-fQo4PuNLAQAqb~TOx8Q8pZKAyLHVyNfKsmIQnLUThkVfxJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richardson","date","2025-08-18T00:00:00Z","article","City Manager Don Magner presented the city manager’s proposed fiscal year 2025–26 budget to the Richardson City Council, detailing revenue forecasts, expenditure priorities and next steps for public hearings and adoption.

Magner said he filed the budget and that the council will hold two public hearings: one on the tax rate and one on the budget, with the council scheduled to consider adoption on September 15. He outlined four key budget drivers — global/regional economic uncertainty, supply chain and commodity pressure, workforce and labor shortages, and legislative impacts from the Texas Legislature — and said those factors influenced the proposal.

On utilities, Magner proposed a 6% increase in water and sewer rates. He described the increase as a response to wholesale cost pressures, including a roughly 4% wholesale water increase and a 15.5% increase in sewer treatment costs passed through to the city. Magner said the proposed budget leaves roughly $4 million of FY 2025 year‑end fund balance in the water and sewer fund to help smooth what otherwise would have been a larger near‑term increase.

Magner proposed compensation adjustments intended to address recruitment and retention: a 4.5% merit‑based pay adjustment for sworn police and fire personnel (2.5% in October and 2% in April 2026), a 2.5% merit increase for general personnel in October and a $1 increase in the minimum starting wage for full‑time permanent and part‑time permanent employees (from $20 to $21). He said the budget includes $120,000 for market‑based adjustments to bring some pay ranges into competitive alignment.

Public safety funding remains a major share of the general fund. Magner said the police budget is now over $40 million and the fire budget nearly $33 million; public safety accounts for roughly 40% of all general fund expenditures. The budget funds a new fire recruitment class (12 apprentices) and includes purchases for PPE and vehicles (two ambulances and a brush truck), and 13 patrol vehicles for police.

Magner also outlined capital and infrastructure priorities: ongoing work from the 2021 bond program, $20 million in water and wastewater projects, funding for the Heights Aquatic Center improvements (noted as the highest priority in the city’s aquatics master plan), and drainage projects funded by a proposed $1 per month drainage fee increase. He said transfer‑outs for streets and alleys, parks maintenance and facility maintenance are unchanged from the prior year.

On revenues and tax issues, Magner said certified taxable value was down year over year (the presentation cited a 0.61% decline after adjustments) and described one‑time appraisal district errors that reduced FY 2026 property tax collections by several million dollars; the city has set aside approximately $372,000 in a reserve to address a supplemental roll adjustment. He recommended maintaining the current tax rate and noted the city called a public hearing on the tax rate for September 8.

Magner described other rate and fee proposals: a $0.50 per month residential solid waste increase (with a 26% senior discount), some building and parks fee changes estimated to generate roughly $312,000, and a proposal to raise the facility maintenance fee for the Eisemann Center. He said sales tax projections were conservative but budgeted at $54.2 million, and emphasized the city’s continued economic development efforts and a multi‑year capital plan with an estimated $64.1 million in FY 2026 capital spending across funds.

Council members asked questions about the North Texas Municipal Water District rate increases and whether the city can push the district for different capital or conservation strategies. Magner and other staff said the district’s capital plan and reserve levels drive a large share of the rate increases; council members suggested pursuing a rate study and exploring conservation incentives and tiered rates. Finance staff said the district provides a cost‑of‑service analysis every three years and the city had just received the second such analysis.

No votes or formal actions were recorded during the presentation; the transcript records discussion and questions from multiple council members and staff clarifications. Magner said staff will publish materials and return for public hearings and council consideration on the schedule detailed in the presentation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richardson - City Council Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","City Manager Don Magner presented the proposed FY 2025–26 budget to the Richardson City Council, outlining revenue drivers, a proposed 6% water and sewer rate increase, merit pay recommendations, public safety funding, capital projects including Heights Aquatic Center work, and a plan to hold two public hearings on the tax rate and budget.","taxTitle","Richardson, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",2786,"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},6507284,"Texas PACE Authority urges Richardson to educate businesses about PACE financing",264,103000,367000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5595901-d4dab981f29addd5fd99f89dfcff068f&start=103&end=367","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5595901-d4dab981f29addd5fd99f89dfcff068f/thumbnail_103000.jpg","/articles/6507284/Richardson/Dallas-County/Texas/Texas-PACE-Authority-urges-Richardson-to-educate-businesses-about-PACE-financing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6507284-c18f7314d795d236f9544c18918a81d4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770443428&Signature=AtkkQ8spVaoIUkhhFf5StmP7rt~SVcjNBJnUhFYzTUbOi6yt1TSgPxT5ZGis5-jgjmvt5H4MVDfHkiyqWDDrd55ao-57Lu9n-ztC4DuNmIpBzGkZrpbKko4Yhhtod7sCz98UkultLFgqEg9NXod8-41EMJhirK4ruqQ9heYCUUy3sUeW1wNBTUdmgYOiztaaPeiizltlaAAOnLxzjrwBlKqmFCaWp~lg35HUAwEiZ84AK3xrM5lgfvlWQ-lYffCAeB4DLNwvdsV2TjKE-hlJ~TIxzXk7ya5Q-C3y-2Vj0z74HZLxhDwrqLvkgEhvZAGIQUD0W1IZY-a-4X2suRESpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Valerie Shoop, a representative of Texas PACE Authority and Heritage Institute of Sustainability, spoke during the public comment portion of the Richardson City Council meeting to encourage the city to let Texas PACE Authority present to local businesses and to post information about the program on the economic development website.

Shoop said Texas PACE Authority, founded in 2015, uses a “PACE in a Box” model to enable property-assessed clean energy (PACE) districts in Texas. She described PACE as a voluntary program that allows property owners to finance energy- and water‑related improvements through a property assessment repaid over up to 20 years. “This program levels the playing field for businesses that previously had financing barriers to upgrade their buildings,” Shoop said.

Shoop told the council PACE projects can be financed using expected energy savings, depreciation and tax incentives, and that the program aims for a savings‑to‑investment ratio of 1 so businesses “realize no out‑of‑pocket expenses.” She said the program can help local contractors and lenders participate and that participating businesses can reduce energy consumption, which she argued would support grid reliability in Texas.

Shoop also proposed a low‑cost next step: a breakfast presentation for chamber members and business representatives. “What cities typically do is arrange for a breakfast — the city provides a space, and Texas PACE brings in the coffee and donuts,” she said, and asked the city to consider hosting that outreach and linking to Texas PACE Authority on the economic development website.

The remarks were delivered during the meeting’s public comment segment. No council action or vote on the request was recorded in the transcript; the presentation was informational and the council and staff did not respond substantively on the record during the public comment segment.","A representative of Texas PACE Authority introduced the PACE financing model during the Richardson City Council public comment period and asked the city to allow outreach to local businesses and to post program information on the city economic development website.","actionData","errors"]

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City Manager presents proposed FY 2025–26 budget; highlights water/sewer rate increases, compensation proposals and capital plans

Texas PACE Authority urges Richardson to educate businesses about PACE financing