The Pasadena City Council on Sept. 5 approved the city's annual budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2024, and adopted a property tax rate of 0.474834 per $100 of assessed value, which the council recorded as an effective 1.63% increase.

City Secretary readings at the meeting identified the ordinances by number: Ordinance 2024158 (ratifying the property tax increase reflected in the annual budget), Ordinance 2024159 (adopting the annual budget and appropriations for fiscal 2024-25), Ordinance 2024160 (adopting the property tax rate and declaring the distribution between the general and debt service funds), and Ordinance 2024161 (accepting valuation and assessment of real and personal property for the 2024 tax year). Each ordinance was adopted by roll-call vote; the transcript records the ordinances as "passes" but does not provide a clear, complete roll-call tally by individual member names in the excerpt.

Council discussion on the rate centered on funding for city operations and employee pay. Councilmember Van Hatten said rising costs have made it difficult to recruit and retain staff and that a slightly higher rate would allow more pay for employees while also funding sidewalk repairs and small street and drainage projects. "If we can help the employees ... it's hard to get and keep good employees," Van Hatten said. She said District D has "at least 15 places where a piece of sidewalk's been missing sometimes for more than 3 years," and that the increase would fund hiring two additional people dedicated to sidewalk repair and add "more than $500,000" to the city's annual small-projects budget (referred to in the meeting as "annuals").

The mayor placed the tax-rate change in context, noting the city reduced its rate over recent years and saying the increase is intended to maintain service levels and reserves for storms. The ordinance text and readings at the meeting cited the requirement to follow the Texas Property Tax Code on rate adoption and levies.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance 2024158 (ratify property-tax increase reflected in the budget): adopted (roll-call vote recorded; specific member tallies not specified in transcript excerpt).
- Ordinance 2024159 (adopt annual budget, fiscal 2024-25): adopted (roll-call vote recorded; specific member tallies not specified).
- Ordinance 2024160 (adopt property tax rate 0.474834 per $100, maintenance 0.394749, debt 0.080085): adopted (roll-call vote recorded; specific member tallies not specified).
- Ordinance 2024161 (accept valuation and assessment for 2024 tax year): adopted (roll-call vote recorded; specific member tallies not specified).

The meeting closed with the mayor adjourning the session.