Ingleside manager proposes FY2026-27 budget built around voter-approval tax rate; council restores $1M for streets

The city manager presented the second draft of Ingleside's proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget and urged the council to adopt a proposed tax rate set at the voter-approval rate so the city can sustain services and rebuild reserves. "We are proposing staying at the voter approval rate," the manager said, noting staff rebuilt some lines after previous cuts and restored the street maintenance fund to $1,000,000.

Appraisal and tax officials joined the meeting to walk council through the worksheets and how certified values and "unused increments" affect the calculation of the rate. A presentations-level official told the council the current rate figure on the worksheet is 0.812699. Finance staff said the spreadsheet assumptions and certified ARB totals will be posted so residents can see how the numbers were derived.

Council members pressed staff on the budget's assumptions and the impact of vacancies, debt service and sales-tax variability. Several members said they would only support a responsible path forward if the council received a clear list of prioritized streets, contractor cost estimates and an updated reserve policy; staff committed to return with those details at the next hearings. The city manager said public hearings on the budget will be held Sept. 8 and Sept. 15, with formal adoption and the tax-rate action scheduled for Sept. 22.