Pearland - Friendswood Edition | October 2023

Government

BY MELISSA ENAJE & RACHEL LELAND

Pearland adopts fiscal year 2023-24 budget, water rate increase Pearland approved its fiscal year 2023-24 bal- anced budget Sept. 25, with a tax rate of $0.6554 per $100 property valuation. The details City Council voted 6-1 to approve the final reading of the tax rate, which marks a more than $0.06 decrease over the past four years. The $114 million budget includes a 1% increase in expenditures over FY 2022-23. The increase includes market-competitive raises for the city’s 907 employ- ees, capital improvement projects and public safety programs, according to agenda documents. The budget also includes a 14% water rate increase, which would set the average household back an additional $12.40 per month, according to agenda documents. This increase is driven by

Voters to decide $2.5B Harris health bond In November, Harris County voters will have to decide whether to fund a $2.5 billion expansion of the Harris Health System. What you need to know If approved, the improvements are projected to cost the owner of a $300,000 property about $6 more per month in taxes. The bond would fund replacing Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital; expanding the capacity of Ben Taub Hospital; and creating new clinics in precincts 2, 3 and 4. By the numbers In one year, HHS serves: • 854,313 clinic visits

Pearland tax rate This year’s tax rate is a 5% increase over last year’s rate of $0.623765 per $100 valuation.

$114 million total budget

14%

water rate increase

$0.6554 tax rate per $100 valuation

SOURCE: CITY OF PEARLAND/COMMUNITY IMPACT

public water infrastructure projects, such as the $175 million Surface Water Treatment Plant, which officials hope will be operational by January. Those opposed Council Member Alex Kamkar, who voted against the budget, said he felt the city should do more to give homeowners relief by increasing the home- stead exemption rate as nearby Alvin has done. City Council will discuss its homestead exemp- tion rate at the Oct. 23 meeting.

• 147,496 emergency room visits • 193,727 telehealth clinic visits

Friendswood City Council passes tax rate increase In fiscal year 2023-24, Friendswood homeowners will pay a tax rate that is 2.7% higher than last year. The gist

Friendswood tax rates The following property tax rates are per $100 valuation.

The tax rate increase will provide an estimated $25 million in property taxes for operations and maintenance as well as interest and sinking funds that service voter-approved general obligation bonds, City Manager Morad Kabiri said. One more thing This year’s no-new-revenue tax rate is $0.463141 per $100 valuation.

$0.6

$0.5

On Sept. 11, Friendswood City Council voted to ratify a tax rate of $0.5007 per $100 valuation. In FY 2019-20, City Council adopted the city’s lowest property tax rate of $0.487314, which the city maintained until this year.

$0.4

$0

2018- 19

2019- 20

2020- 21

2021- 22

2022- 23

2023- 24

SOURCE: CITY OF FRIENDSWOOD/COMMUNITY IMPACT

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