Resident urges Garland to curb spending, warns water fee increase will drive people and businesses away

Christie Davis, a longtime Garland resident, opened the meeting’s public-comment period by telling council members she worried the city is “moving in the wrong direction” and urged fiscal restraint as staff present the proposed FY2027 budget. “We feel like we’re overtaxed. We feel like our utility bills are excessive,” Davis said, warning that adding “another $8 per month for water” would hurt households and local businesses.

Davis criticized the city’s approach to economic development, saying Garland is not viewed as business-friendly compared with nearby cities and calling for clearer prioritization of limited dollars. Her remarks framed later council discussion about balancing one-time revenues, reserve policy and possible tax-rate adjustments. Staff and council members did not directly dispute her claim during the comment period; rather, subsequent budget presentations addressed the structural constraints staff say the city faces under recent state tax rules and wholesale cost pressures.