MIDLOTHIAN—As budget season approaches, city councils across the Best Southwest have begun crunching numbers with staff and holding workshops to hear residents’ comments before upcoming public hearings and the final passing of the 2024/2025 fiscal year budget.
The new fiscal year budget begins October 1, 2024, and continues to September 30, 2025.
Midlothian Mayor Justin Coffman said, “The municipal budget process is long and tedious. Budget approval is a yearlong process of preparation for the city staff.”
Coffman added that at this point, the city council has had two budget workshops that have been open to the public, with a third one being held on August 3.
“We continue to go line by line through this year’s proposed budget,” Coffman explained regarding the workshops.
As in years past, budget workshops are meetings at which residents’ comments are heard and considered by the city council regarding the new fiscal year’s expenditures.
The new fiscal year’s tax rate is also determined during this time in each city.
In Midlothian, the first public hearing for the adoption of the 2024/2025 fiscal year budget will be held at the city council meeting on Tuesday, August 27th, at 6 p.m.
Coffman said the final public hearing and adoption will be on Tuesday, September 10th at 6 p.m.
Cedar Hill held its preliminary budget workshop on July 16th. No dates have been posted for additional budget workshops or the necessary public hearings, but these meetings typically take place during August and early September.
While workshops are welcome places for residents’ comments in every city, residents often speak at public hearings regarding the upcoming fiscal year budget and tax rate as well.
The city of Lancaster has not listed budget workshop dates on its website, but last month, the council did receive a presentation regarding the city’s employee insurance program for the new fiscal year.
Also in July, the Lancaster City Council passed a resolution authorizing the publication of a Notice of Intent to issue Certificates of Obligation in the amount of $17,000,000 for the cost of design, construction, repair, and improvement of Public Safety Buildings supporting the City’s Police and Firefighting activities. The purchase of land for Public Safety Building ingress and egress improvements to various streets and roads adjoining the Public Safety Buildings. This had been previously approved in June but failed to reference all intended uses, so it had to be redone.
DeSoto began its meetings regarding the new fiscal year budget on July 25th and 26th, reviewing budget line items. As with all cities, two public hearings will be held regarding the new 2024/2025 fiscal year budget, with August 20th being the specified date in DeSoto. A resolution will be brought before the council to approve the city’s new tax roll.
In Glenn Heights, City Manager Cliff Blackwell presented the council with the early preliminary budget at the beginning of July, with public hearings and approvals coming in August/September.
The city of Hutchins did not indicate when its budget workshops or public hearings will be held. Still, residents are encouraged to contact the city hall of any city for a timeframe of all new fiscal year 2024/2025 budget meetings and public hearings.
