League City Council Reviewing Proposed FY 2022 Budget

 League City - Over the past six months, all League City departments have been working with the City’s Budget Department and City Manager to create a proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2022, which starts October 1, 2021.  The League City Council is currently reviewing the proposed budget at a series of work sessions. Members of the public are also invited to review the proposed budget and share their feedback at the work sessions. Scroll down for the dates, times, and budget items to be discussed at each session. Comments and feedback regarding the proposed FY 2022 budget can also be sent directly to the City Council. 

FY 2022 PROPOSED BUDGET 

The total of all operating budgets currently proposed for FY 2022 is $163.20 million, an increase of $6.37 million over the FY 2021 amended budget of $156.83 million. The total proposed increase of $6.37 million is comprised of a $2.42 million increase to the General Fund, a $1.13 million increase in the Debt Service Fund, a $3.99 million increase in Special Revenue Funds, and a $1.16 million decrease in the Utility Fund.

The proposed budget increase of $2.42 million to the General Fund is attributed to several factors including but not limited to:

• Proposed addition of 10 positions in FY 2022
• Annualized cost of staff added in FY 2021 Adopted Budget
• Annualized cost of the January 2021 merit, 2.0 percent raises, and STEP increases for civil service police officers
• Proposed funding for a 2.0 percent merit and 2.0 percent cost of living in January 2022 and funding for 2.0 percent raises for civil service police officers in January 2022 along with STEP increases 
• Annualized cost of positions that were vacant for a portion of FY 2021
• Anticipated health insurance projected increase of six percent over FY 2021 budget. 
• Proposed new items including the addition of six new vehicles to be added to the City’s fleet 

The $1.13 million increase in the Debt Service Fund is due to the anticipated third GO Bond sale in calendar year 2021 in the amount of $25.8 million. The FY 2022 proposed budget includes the estimated debt service payment for this issuance. The $3.99 million increase in the Special Revenue Funds is due to the Technology Fund ($1.50 million) for replacement of technology items such as server equipment end-of-life replacement ($650,000) and funding for City's portion of new GRID software ($1.2 million). The FY 2022 proposed budget also includes COVID American Rescue Plan Act Fund (ARPF) for community programs such as Interfaith Caring Ministries, small business assistance and utility bill/rental assistance and utility capital projects.

The proposed City budget was prepared at the estimated no-new revenue tax rate of $0.465; a tax rate reduction of $0.05 from the current tax rate of $0.515.  The estimated no-new-revenue tax rate of $0.465 reflected in the revenues programmed in the FY 2022 Proposed Budget is a preliminary estimate. The no-new-revenue tax rate as set forth in Senate Bill 2 will be calculated by the Galveston County Tax Assessor/Collector at the beginning of August. City Council will receive an update on the official no-new-revenue tax rate and any impact the rate and subsequent property tax revenue estimated from the rate will have on the FY 2022 Proposed Budget.