Government
BY HEATHER MCCULLOUGH, PATRICIA ORTIZ & CODY THORN
Fort Worth faces $49M shortfall for FY 2026 27
KELLER PKWY.
the FY 2026-27 budget, which would be approved this fall, the rst week of April. Projections for the upcoming scal year increase 3%-4% growth in expenses. Revenues made up of property tax, sales tax, other taxes and general revenue funds, comprise 87.4% of the FY 2025-26 adopted revenue budget. That leaves roughly a 12.5% funding gap for FY 2026-27. By the numbers Total revenue forecast for FY 2026-27 shows about $1.13 billion in revenue and roughly $1.18 billion in expenses, with an expected budget shortfall of $49.3 million. In the following years, forecasts show budget shortfalls as well, ranging from $4.9 million to $8.7 million in years ending in odd numbers. Kirk said that in part is due to changes with the Tarrant Appraisal District, which voted in 2024 to go to evaluations every other year instead of each year, according to previous reporting. He said the new plan shows either no growth or growth at a lower level than other years, calling it “unpredictable.” The start of the 2026-27 scal year begins Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2027.
During a Fort Worth City Council work session meeting April 7, Brady Kirk, Fort Worth Lab nance assistant director, provided a long-term budget forecast to the council. “We’ve known that scal year [2026-27] would be another somewhat tough year and that picture is always coming into focus,” he said. His presentation unveiled rising costs and shrinking revenues. He mentioned economic conditions such as interest rates being near 25-year highs, three government shutdowns, Tarrant Appraisal District’s reappraisal plans and national and global uncertainties. The context Kirk said the city’s budget depends heavily on taxes, and the whims of the economy have an impact on those numbers. The scal year 2025-26 budget, which runs from Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, was $3.09 billion, an increase of 10.77% compared to the previous budget, according to the city website. The approved tax rate for FY 2025-26 is $0.6700 per $100 valuation. Kirk said that breaks down to $0.1475 for debt service and $0.5225 for operation and maintenance, which funds the city’s opera- tions for most departments. He said the city departments started working on
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460 Keller Parkway, Keller
Keller vetoes Baylor Scott & White therapy center relocation Keller o cials denied the relocation of the Baylor Scott & White Outpatient Therapy services center in the city. The motion failed to pass at the April 7 meeting after a 3-3 vote, with Mayor Armin Mizani and council members Chris Whatley and Karen Brennan voting for the relocation. Council members Shannon Dubberly, Ross McMullin and Greg Will voted against it. Place 4 is vacant, which led to the tie. The details The Baylor Scott & White services center, currently located at 460 Keller Parkway, is seeking a larger space to meet the area’s patient demands, per previous reporting. The location under consideration is the same spot as a former Petco in Keller Town Center. A Special-Use Permit is needed to rezone the space for medical o ce use. Brandie Owen, the regional director for Baylor Scott & White’s Institute for Reha- bilitation, said this location would serve 60 patients a day, up from 40.
City of Fort Worth budget projections for scal years 2026 27 City departments already started working on the FY 2026-27 budget, which show an increase of 3%-4% in expenses. Rising costs and shrinking revenue streams have contributed to the projected shortfall.
Total expense forecast: $1.18B
Total revenue forecast: $1.13B
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Budget shortfall: -$49.3M
SOURCE: CITY OF FORT WORTH COMMUNITY IMPACT
$4.2M production studio project to bring lmmakers, creatives to Roanoke
Council at its March 10 meeting. Daniel McCarthy, the chief executive o cer of FM, a company dedicated to equipping the creative community through content and career support, asked Roanoke City Council to grant the sales tax exemption for the media production facility, which will be at 310 S. Oak St. Council granted McCarthy the tax exemption for the renovations, alongside approving the city’s status as a media production development zone.
The city of Roanoke is now designated as a media production development zone, which could bring in lmmakers and creatives to Roanoke. The designation allows media production companies to receive a two-year exemption from state and local sales taxes related to construction, maintenance, expansions, improvements or renovations. What happened? The exemption was approved by Roanoke City
"[City sta ] feel that a project like this or supporting something like this would create a lot of synergy of what we’re looking to do on Oak Street as we continue to develop our identity as a city." SIALE LANGI, ROANOKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
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KELLER ROANOKE NORTHEAST FORT WORTH EDITION
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