The College Station city council is told the proposed fiscal year 2021 budget is $28.5 million dollars less than fiscal year 2020.
Finance director Mary Ellen Leonard says more than $5 million in cuts comes from continuing a hiring freeze and reduced expenses that started with the coronavirus pandemic in March. Leonard says should budget decreases continue in fiscal year 2022, there will be reductions in the city’s “significant services”.
Leonard also says the property tax rate is proposed to stay the same, based on tentative valuation numbers from the appraisal district. Leonard says $1 BILLION dollars in valuation is still under review.
The city of College Station’s property tax rate is proposed to remain the same. And there would be no change in utility rates and fees.
Three days of budget workshops will be held next week. A public hearing was scheduled for August 13th.
After receiving the proposed FY 2021 budget, the council approved reducing the FY 2020 budget by more than $5 million dollars.