(Seguin) — The city of Seguin is moving forward with its proposed budget and tax rate for fiscal year 2025-26. There was no discussion or comments during a public hearing held as part of Tuesday’s meeting of the Seguin City Council. The lack of input allowed the council to breeze through the item and move on with its agenda.
Councilman John Carlsson thanked city staff, particularly Finance Director Susan Caddell, for making this process easier for the council and for the community.
“The reason why we can rip through this and move through this (so quickly) is because all of the hard work that she does. It prepares us. So, I just need to say thank you to her and to Mr. Parker. I mean, this is why we can do this. So, (if) people are wondering why are there no questions – it’s because all the hard questions are asked before we usually get here,” said Carlsson.
The council approved on first reading an operating budget of just over $136 million for next year. That’s about $12 million more than last year’s $124.7 million plan.
City Manager Steve Parker spoke about the proposed budget during a previous meeting. He says the proposal reflects both new positions and additional investments in departments like police, fire and other city services. Even with those increases, Parker says staff worked hard to keep overall expenses in check. Parker noted that Seguin’s rapid growth remains a key challenge. He says city leaders must balance the current demand for services with the need to prepare for future growth.
The council also moved to approve a tax rate of 51.35 cents per $100 valuation, which is slightly higher than the current tax rate of 51.25 cents. The proposed tax rate figure represents the “No-New-Revenue” rate, meaning it would generate the same overall property tax revenue as the previous year — when adjusted for new appraised values.
The city’s new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.