HUTCHINS – The City of Hutchins has adopted its Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Budget and voted to keep the same property tax rate as last Fiscal Year’s amount.
According to City Staff, “The City of Hutchins has not raised the local tax rate in the last eight years. In fact, the Mayor and Council have successfully lowered the City’s tax rate during the 2022 and 2023 budget cycles. This achievement is a direct result of the community’s steady commercial growth, the influx of quality residential developments, and a commitment to maximize resources.”
Hutchins Mayor Mario Vasquez said, “The Council and I worked on the budget for several months in workshops and public meetings. The budget reflects the City’s commitment to transparency and inclusivity, incorporating feedback from numerous community forums where residents voiced their priorities. As we move forward, our goal is to not only maintain but also enhance City services, ensuring that Hutchins remains a vibrant place to live and work.”
The budget and tax rate for the new fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024, passed unanimously on September 16.
The new Fiscal Year 2024/25 adopted tax rate is unchanged at 0.630082.
The tax rate has also decreased 2.58 cents from the 2023 rate of 0.655901, according to a press release from the City of Hutchins.
The certified appraisal values from the Dallas Central Appraisal District reflected an increase in Taxable Value of 25.18%, or $311,453,206 from $1,236,605,271 (2023 Certified Value) to $1,548,058,477 (2024 Certified Value) for Hutchins. This number was also incorporating the 2024 Certified Value into the Fiscal Year 2025 budget at the current tax rate of $0.630082, which “produces an increase in property tax revenue of approximately $1,962,410.59 to cover operating expenditures and tax-supported debt expenditures,” staff said.
For the 2025 fiscal year, the average taxable value of a home in Hutchins is approximately $191,396 with an average levy of $1,205.95 compared to $174,701 in the previous year with a levy of $1,100.76.
Staff said, “The primary source of income for the city is property taxes, which accounts for 47% of total General Fund revenue. The biggest budgetary issue in preparing the annual budget is the setting of the property tax rate. Once the appraisal roll is received in late July, the tax rate is determined by the debt rate needed to pay for the City’s bonded indebtedness and funds needed for maintenance and operation funding in the General Fund. For the 2025 tax rate of .630082 per $100 assessed value, .442596 cents is dedicated to operations, and .187486 cents is dedicated to debt.”
Budget Approved
The citywide budget, which was approved, included $21.7 million in operating expenditures and $22.5 million in capital expenditures.
The proposed budget includes three new positions and a 5% merit increase for all eligible employees. The three new positions include Animal Services Officer, the duties of this position include protecting public health and safety by responding to and investigating animal-related issues and enforcing local and state laws related to animals; Public Works Administrative Assistant, a position to assist with the clerical duties associated with Public Works. This position will help make the Public Works department more efficient and responsive to customer needs, and the Municipal Court Clerk will provide a variety of administrative and case processing services that support the municipal court.
Other budget highlights included Flock Safety cameras to assist the Police Department by providing objective evidence for solving crime and providing proactive alerts to help avoid potentially dangerous encounters. A $300,000 sidewalk expansion program to help improve the safety, mobility, and health of the community that will include West Hickman, North Main, South JJ Lemon, North Pacific, and Dowdy Ferry North is scheduled to be completed within six months.
There was a $9.5 million item to complete the construction of City Hall and a temporary animal shelter for $148,000 to convert the former Police Department building into a temporary animal shelter. The new animal shelter is set to open in 2025, with a temporary facility allowing the city to house animals without transporting them outside city limits.
$36,000 was allocated to convert Hutchins to a paperless system using appropriate software, and $6.5 million was allocated to improve the city’s wastewater system, which will help prevent sewer backups and overflows by reducing inflow and infiltration (I/I) into the sanitary sewer system.
Staff noted, “There is $6.5 million remaining from the $14.5 million 2023 Certificate of Obligation Debt Issue to complete the Southern Wastewater System Improvements. The project includes the installation of a gravity wastewater line, a wastewater force main, and a wastewater lift station.”
Eight new computers were budgeted for the Atwell Public Library for public use and the Hutchins Fire Department was allocated $41,000 for vehicle extraction equipment to assist in freeing trapped victims from vehicles or heavy machinery inside businesses.
Mayor Vasquez concluded, “In addition to prioritizing public safety, this budget includes significant investments in infrastructure improvements, such as upgrades to the wastewater system and sidewalk expansions, ensuring that our community remains safe and accessible for all residents. The budget also allocates funds for new technology in our public library, enhancing resources for education and community engagement.”
