Garland staff, public speakers press case for Nov. 3 tax‑rate proposition

City staff outlined the November 3 property tax‑rate proposition and published a voter information site, votegarland.com, intended to show residents both the adopted rate and the fallback voter‑approval rate under Texas Tax Code §26.07.

“Allison Stedman, a city finance presenter, said the website includes a tax‑bill calculator so every resident can see for themselves how their bill would change under the adopted rate or the voter‑approval rate,” staff said during a council briefing. The presentation reproduced the exact ballot language, compared the adopted FY26–27 rate of $0.6799 per $100 valuation to the voter‑approval rate and showed sample annual effects for $200,000, $300,000 and $400,000 taxable values.

Why it matters: the adopted maintenance and operations portion of the rate exceeds the voter‑approval rate, which triggers an election under Section 26.07 of the Texas Tax Code. Staff told council the adopted rate would fund public safety positions, additional dispatchers, parks maintenance, library materials, special events, and general‑fund reserves. City staff provided line‑item estimates for each department and said the adopted budget scenario includes about $3.54 million in general‑fund reserves compared with about $974,000 under the voter‑approval scenario.

Speakers from public safety unions and downtown advocates addressed council earlier in the meeting. “I’m the president of the police association, and I wanted to speak to express my support in favor of a yes vote,” Skyler Kimpel said during public comment, noting the proposition would add dispatchers and officers to ease long hold times for 9‑1‑1 callers. Brandon Day, representing the Garland Firefighters Association Local 1293, described rising call volume—24,000 runs in 2016 versus more than 30,000 last year—and urged approval to address chronic staffing shortages.

Not all commenters agreed. Resident Carl Smith said the city’s prior outreach was insufficient and argued voters deserved fuller, less‑persuasive presentation of the options. City staff responded by pointing to the new site and the tax‑bill calculator and said they will present additional town halls and FAQs before the election.

Next steps: staff said the election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026, and that additional public town halls and online materials will be published in the lead‑up to the vote. Council did not take a formal legislative action on the adopted rate at this meeting.