[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6018486,"mediaKeyId","5774750-42491c05217dfe96064f364a26d7f0c5","parentId",5774750,"title","Sanitation fund: city argues low rates and twice-weekly service, but trucks and landfill equipment need replacement","audioSeconds",542,"startMs",3457000,"endMs",3999000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5774750-42491c05217dfe96064f364a26d7f0c5&start=3457&end=3999","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5774750-42491c05217dfe96064f364a26d7f0c5/thumbnail_3457000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6018486/Wichita-Falls/Wichita-County/Texas/Sanitation-fund-city-argues-low-rates-and-twice-weekly-service-but-trucks-and-landfill-equipment-need-replacement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6018486-852de2334a034f41021090c2110a34e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770768745&Signature=mX4fTyxvVQHbtZwnXWWSSJ-hzAbG4NEAUGxDpH1DOARcj8tqocolNy9uUc3kfKwtlXjT3OXi4dX0AtoTSC65S1Je-XaVLth6BvaFLlyHWW8xPBD9A42IqLDoP~n2a17AHfywmatALoYNC0D-zHPWmnfiIp5mActO1DnrdjjOzpEBUETOGnwRGvHiQwcx0~cN6fmCsJuXlu-GbczD9ycqx5SGNJnFDfUvbNOmvHwW~wqWFXhse4AbI7jYCqTp~9m~ql8pYZ5d0epjltK~QKrMly~1kgo1wPDGJmMzjZX2SFAn7eeBgtefOMa792jaBIjBlPiEPVlUEueGg7VD-FwxYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Wichita Falls, TX","date","2025-08-12T20:03:28Z","article","Wichita Falls — City staff briefed the council Aug. 12 on the sanitation fund, saying the fund is in good financial shape, provides relatively extensive service compared with peer cities, but faces equipment and capital-replacement needs.

Russell and other staff told council the city operates its own landfill and transfer station — factors that staff say help keep local sanitation rates lower than many peers, even as the city offers twice-weekly curbside pickup in many areas. Staff said the sanitation rate comparison shown in the presentation uses current data and does not reflect hypothetical increases other cities may later adopt.

Why it matters: sanitation service frequency and equipment investments affect residents’ costs and the city’s ability to sustain twice-weekly pickup.

Staff discussed operational pressures: many collection trucks and equipment are aging, alley-collection trucks face obstacles from low-hanging wires and trees, and landfill operations are hard on vehicles. The draft budget contains capital requests to replace curbside trucks on a six-year cycle, purchase alley-side vehicles, front-end loaders for commercial service, a landfill scraper, and other heavy equipment. Staff also cited a required landfill post-closure care liability and said portions of the sanitation fund balance are reserved for that purpose.

On alley maintenance, Russell explained there is a dedicated allocation used only to repair alleys that the city uses for solid-waste collection; those dollars do not cover alleys not used for trash collection.

Discussion vs. decisions: staff presented the capital needs and said the sanitation fund’s financial position allows planned purchases; no separate council vote occurred on sanitation capital at the Aug. 12 meeting.

Ending: staff said they will return with more detailed replacement schedules and suggested timing for capital purchases as part of the FY26 adoption process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","August 12, 2025 Special City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Staff told council the sanitation fund remains financially healthy and provides twice-weekly service, but equipment is aging and the budget includes capital purchases for trucks, landfill equipment and alley maintenance funds.","taxTitle","Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas","taxId",2821,"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},6018490,"Draft budget raises pay across city workforce; council told changes improve recruitment but won't close market gap",176,1712000,1888000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5774750-42491c05217dfe96064f364a26d7f0c5&start=1712&end=1888","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5774750-42491c05217dfe96064f364a26d7f0c5/thumbnail_1712000.jpg","/articles/6018490/Wichita-Falls/Wichita-County/Texas/Draft-budget-raises-pay-across-city-workforce-council-told-changes-improve-recruitment-but-wont-close-market-gap","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6018490-f9348133941fce68ede46d1c2e3e10b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770768745&Signature=Y0MEDt2n07rBSEbVq85GSoSMQDlxWCEqdeG7LtbozgxWIwR2yIJym8EjTxPeOsD7eevTgAqjYeGFlYHsLXd74tWrC9TQZES6HjguWYOWH80S0jVbPCEz5Rq5bBn8u9fmRMcs3xpD0kOLvrAEzBgD5Ikz107fDhFx4PxFjVWE7hm7lVRlPn0HJakbrNAUGH4-bHrFZuCtLfV8rUvN4hBrtHyu5sXREjxe3nDqr08EV2LeESUXkpKFX2Lo3lXpOlzUnZtvygHplQhRco5WAoYIAV3bIGH0j9imeiEqc7MXXoiwvH~dDr~YUunmwGKSfwDDdfHFP0kh-yqAn2s46aKRRQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wichita Falls — City staff said the FY26 draft budget increases employee compensation across major groups and funds several new positions intended to improve operations and recruitment.

At the Aug. 12 meeting, staff listed three compensation elements: a 10% pay increase for fire civil-service personnel under a reported agreement; a proposed 8% increase for police civil service base pay; and a 6% base increase for all other city employees. Steven Calvert said the package “is a step in the right direction” though he added, “Are we there yet? No. But we've made significant strides in the right direction.”

Why it matters: pay changes affect recruiting, retention, and the city budget’s recurring personnel costs.

Human-resources context: Christy (staff) presented comparative peer benchmarks and told council that hourly employees were about 10% behind the new peer average, salary positions about 5% behind, fire 18% behind, police about 10% behind, and director levels about 10% behind — figures presented before the proposed FY26 increases.

Additional benefits and staffing changes in the draft include:
- A proposal to reduce the TMRS vesting period from 10 to 5 years (staff said this aligns the city with most peers).
- A compensation study funded for the next fiscal year to identify further gaps and options.
- New or reclassified positions in the draft budget: an employee-relations coordinator, a wildfire coordinator (to be funded externally if possible, but included in the budget if outside funding is not secured), a building-maintenance supervisor, a graphic-design/webmaster role in public information, and an additional police officer to handle homeless-relations duties.

Discussion vs. decisions: staff described the agreements and proposed pay increases; for some items — the fire increase — staff reported an agreement already in place. The police increase was described as a proposed agreement. Council did not take a separate vote on compensation at the Aug. 12 meeting; staff said the details would be reflected in the final adopted budget if approved.

Ending: Staff asked the council to approve the overall budget schedule and provide feedback on priorities; a compensation study is scheduled for the coming year to refine market alignment.","The FY26 draft budget includes pay increases: a 10% agreement for fire civil-service personnel, a proposed 8% increase for police civil service, and a 6% base increase for other employees; staff also proposed reducing TMRS vesting from 10 to 5 years and adding several positions.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6018496,"Council hears options on water-sewer rates as major plant work and debt roll-off create funding window",791,2343000,3134000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5774750-42491c05217dfe96064f364a26d7f0c5&start=2343&end=3134","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5774750-42491c05217dfe96064f364a26d7f0c5/thumbnail_2343000.jpg","/articles/6018496/Wichita-Falls/Wichita-County/Texas/Council-hears-options-on-water-sewer-rates-as-major-plant-work-and-debt-roll-off-create-funding-window","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6018496-767d9ac9626a961ed11cb060ae65d60e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770768745&Signature=LdxGwg6nthcyMuBmFE8WKPpeZPsVJGXU6ClWgmSbyiKVtNXOgMUZKVODovsvn4bhUr4nl3fz-pLcXfMlf2sFnF0dSFoBPOuRppb8oHAoVt6RuZW-oH3cjvhif10edz3FZCvUSE-X7HMx21U8lPxnUssf4ATMoHHPg77r-gwCGNq7YeCQu~jZgKViC16si7HebhSZa87YaxTGP6wfKfkXQFLjLOE~CfKIaKCfnQg7ZN3RMgPqiZOrvbLOC-GDKbK1aC3KQ0vuRb2RgShCMkzF1ue2nYTZYkjkGc78khNOmM602i8w8y9JRtUcDVmSrfVrl-anJcyqim0Hkys9qcKOew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wichita Falls — At the Aug. 12 special meeting, city staff outlined options for the water and sewer fund tied to capital needs, debt maturities and proposed modest rate changes.

Staff told council the water and sewer fund shows a projected balance of about $33,000,000 at the end of the fiscal year but that roughly $20,000,000 of that balance is unavailable for general use because it is reserved for plant costs, Ringgold-related items, and a debt sinking reserve. Staff said roughly $11,000,000 of the water fund is in a debt-sinking reserve that can be used to make final payments on long-term debt, which will significantly reduce next year’s debt-service obligation.

Why it matters: the council must decide whether to raise rates to accelerate capital work or keep rates lower and phase projects over time. Staff framed the choice as one between affordability now and lower future rate risk.

Steven Calvert, presenting the options, said a 2% proposed increase in water/sewer and stormwater appears in the draft and that, under a 2% scenario, operating revenue would be about $54.3 million, operating expenses about $34.9 million, and capital expenditures about $8.3 million. Staff said typical municipal math means each percentage point change in rates yields about $500,000 in revenue.

Russell (city utilities/water operations staff) described the highest-priority capital items. The top priority is refurbishing the ‘61 plant (treatment-plant upgrades identified in a prior Black & Veatch evaluation). Russell listed multiple needed projects at the 61 plant and in pressure planes: filter-gallery improvements already partially repaired, an east pressure-plane pump station, secondary reservoir pump upgrades, a half-million-gallon elevated storage tank for the east pressure plane, and a 20-inch main to improve flows between towers. Russell warned that planned development on the city’s east side — including the business park and school-related growth — could “max out” East Pressure Plain capacity and require earlier investment there.

Staff emphasized that a chunk of debt is rolling off next year. Calvert told the council that typical annual debt payments were about $12 million but — because of the sinking fund — next year’s water-sewer debt payments could fall to roughly $5.7 million, freeing about $5.3 million in capacity for capital or debt-service cushioning.

Discussion vs. decisions: the council asked questions about timing and priorities; staff said the city has flexibility and that the council should give guidance. No rate increase was adopted on Aug. 12. Councilors asked for options and trade-offs; staff recommended considering using the debt-rolloff window to begin high-priority projects such as the 61 plant rehabilitation.

Ending: Staff said they can begin priority work in FY26 if council directs it, and that a full water master plan update underway could identify further projects.","City staff presented a range of water/sewer rate options at the Aug. 12 meeting, noting $33 million in candidate capital needs (including upgrades at the '61 plant), about $11 million in a debt sinking reserve, and that debt service obligations will decline next year, freeing roughly $5 million for capital or to reduce future rate pressure.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6018500,"Wichita Falls previews FY26 budget with small property-tax rate cut, one-time investments",0,158000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5774750-42491c05217dfe96064f364a26d7f0c5&start=158&end=158","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5774750-42491c05217dfe96064f364a26d7f0c5/thumbnail_158000.jpg","/articles/6018500/Wichita-Falls/Wichita-County/Texas/Wichita-Falls-previews-FY26-budget-with-small-property-tax-rate-cut-one-time-investments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6018500-1dce535852b3ecfdba5b026d65cb30aa/orig.mp4?Expires=1770768745&Signature=VlMFJs-WSzVElBWKAauvhw6ZP-txvEQH7r~1AUgvY6pp2Rnm8BH5NqSAJxYuD3cp~hJ49DCAfPEH~j9bAQcwZI-wvKFmAnbL984L0OyJwvTQrkVbL29k3aXJSsqS4id6ciCNQ9b~i0tEZgacygWR22RxfYKCfLnuoMkCAmJT1Y7xDC43zMM1FEdhjOwMyuw827PEuEb19qraZG9OX49vlFv0mqtMqRynWYgYqZbFJGhr0C2-i6rxqLLhOWidkJjLT40zku9v7GQ~tGQfyzt-gPuGWPRWZNplsQKYgVqvJdhmOfUb2BHCWWEA8imG~4jbiA30RLT2KATSRttRteB5CQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wichita Falls — City staff presented the draft fiscal 2026 budget at a special Wichita Falls City Council meeting on Aug. 12, proposing a modest cut to the property-tax rate while using fund balances for one-time capital and employee pay increases.

The budget presentation said certified property values were “just shy of $8,000,000,000,” an increase of 3.73% from the prior year, and proposed a tax rate slightly below the current rate of 0.6848. Steven Calvert, the budget presenter, told council members the proposed rate in the FY26 draft is 0.6825, “about 0.34% lower than the current tax rate,” and that the document also uses fund balances and new local revenue to support one-time projects.

Why it matters: property values and the tax rate determine how much homeowners pay; the draft also sets staff pay increases and capital spending that will affect service levels and future rate-setting.

City staff framed the budget as fiscally conservative but targeted to address staff pay and capital needs. Caitlin Leveser, a finance department staffer identified in the meeting, described three changes she made to the budget document aimed at public access and internal accuracy: adopting an online budget tool (ClearGov), refreshing internal allocation categories, and updating departmental allocations. Calvert said those changes helped the city produce a budget that “takes care of our staff” and that the pay and benefit changes “make progress” toward market competitiveness.

Key figures and mechanics discussed at the meeting:
- Certified property valuation: just under $8.0 billion (up 3.73%).
- Current tax rate cited by staff: 0.6848. Draft FY26 tax rate presented: 0.6825 (staff called this a small decrease of about 0.34% from the current rate).
- Staff noted that a 1% change in the tax rate equals roughly $500,000 in property-tax revenue for the city.
- General fund: a portion of the projected fund balance (about $14,000,000) is designated for future capital; staff described the remaining reserve as healthy.

Staff cautioned that the draft “raises more taxes” language in public disclosures refers to an accounting distinction between the rate and rising property values; Calvert explicitly explained that, because assessed values rose, the average homeowner’s levy could be higher even if the proposed rate is lower. Using the city example shown in the presentation, staff said the average homeowner’s monthly net change would be about $2.68 per month after accounting for higher property values.

The presentation also summarized non-property-tax revenues and constraints. Sales tax receipts have been largely flat year to year in the city’s budget forecast, though staff reported a single-month uptick of 7% in the latest data and said they budgeted conservatively. Staff also reported new payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) arrangements with businesses just outside the city’s jurisdiction that add revenue to the general fund.

Discussion vs. decisions: council heard the draft and asked questions about exemptions, voter-approval tax thresholds, and next steps. No final vote on the budget or tax rate occurred at the Aug. 12 special meeting. Staff said a public hearing and an “intent to vote” on the tax rate would be placed on the agenda for the council’s next regular meeting, with a scheduled adoption vote planned for Sept. 2.

Ending: Staff asked council for guidance on rate choices and next steps; the council recessed for executive session later in the meeting and returned without taking votes on the budget at that session.","City staff presented a FY26 draft budget Aug. 12 that proposes a slightly lower property-tax rate, uses healthy reserves for one-time capital, and relies on a mix of revenue changes and fund balances to finance employee pay increases and projects.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sanitation fund: city argues low rates and twice-weekly service, but trucks and landfill equipment need replacement

Draft budget raises pay across city workforce; council told changes improve recruitment but won't close market gap

Council hears options on water-sewer rates as major plant work and debt roll-off create funding window

Wichita Falls previews FY26 budget with small property-tax rate cut, one-time investments