The College Station city council’s first regular meeting of 2026 included approval of nearly $33 million dollars of changes to the city budget.
21 budget amendments presented by director of fiscal services Mary Ellen Leonard includes two projects approved by voters in a November 2022 bond issue. Savings of more than $3 million dollars to build the new Central Park operations building is going towards improvements at Thomas Park. And at Lincoln recreation center, $350,000 dollars was transferred from a parkland fund to finish that project.
Unrelated to the bond issue, some of the other 21 amendments includes:
$1.5 million dollars in hotel occupancy tax money will be spent to replace two synthetic playing fields at Veterans Park.
$4 million dollars in excess utility revenue will be spent on relocating utility lines impacted by the freeway expansion project.
$1.5 million will be spent on repairs at the Dowling Road water pumping station, which is College Station’s only high-service pump station delivering treated drinking water.
$950,000 dollars will be transferred from the parks capital improvement project fund to build another columbarium at Memorial Cemetery.
Click below to hear comments from Mary Ellen Leonard at the January 8, 2026 College Station city council meeting.