Lago Vista's General Fund reserve tripled to $16.5 million

On Sept. 17, 2026, the Lago Vista City Council adopted a budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2026, and ending Sept. 30, 2027.¹ The vote was 4 to 3, with Mayor Shane Saum and Council Members Adam Benefield and Amanda Chavarria voting no, the record vote on the budget's cover shows.² The council also set the city's property tax rate at $0.451988 for every $100 of taxable value.¹ The budget letter says the proposed tax rate for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, $0.451988, is the no-new-revenue rate and "an increase from the previous fiscal year rate of $0.4200."² The city's taxpayer impact statement estimates the 2026-2027 city tax bill on the median-valued homestead at $1,358.06. It puts the 2025-26 bill for that home, at the $0.42 rate, at $1,261.94. It says the 2026-2027 bill would be about $96.12 higher. The $96.12 assumes the home's taxable value stayed at $300,463 in both years (our math, $300,463 times $0.42 per $100 is $1,261.94).³ The General Fund held $16,475,483, about $16.5 million, on Sept. 30, 2025.⁴ That is 3.16 times the $5,216,638 it held at the end of the year ended Sept. 30, 2021 (our math, $16,475,483 divided by $5,216,638).^4,5 The agenda for a special meeting on Sept. 25, 2026, listed an ordinance amending the 2026-27 budget ordinance, No. 26-09-17-01. The Sept. 25, 2026, agenda also listed an ordinance amending the tax levy ordinance, No. 26-09-17-02.¹ The council adopted no amendment at that meeting, so the budget and tax rate it approved earlier in the month stand.^6,7,8

2020-21

The minutes of the Sept. 17, 2020, council meeting list Don Barthlow as a council member. That night the council voted 6 to 1 to adopt the 2020-21 budget, with Barthlow casting the only no vote. It voted 6 to 1, with Barthlow opposed, for a tax rate of $0.6475 per $100, which the minutes call "effectively a 0% increase in the tax rate."⁹

A letter dated Oct. 1, 2020, presenting the adopted Fiscal Year 2021 budget, says the City Council voted to "allocate funds from reserves to complete capital projects."¹⁰ The final budget for the year ended Sept. 30, 2021, planned a $1,966,347 drop in the General Fund's balance, but the balance actually rose $292,449. The General Fund held $5,216,638 at the end of the year ended Sept. 30, 2021. The annual financial report credits the General Fund's increase in fund balance mainly to "transfers in from the Utility Fund, lower than budgeted transfers out, and higher than budgeted revenues for licenses and permits."⁵ The Utility Fund accounts for "the government's utility services, including water and sewer services," the annual financial report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, says.⁴

2021-22

The budget's cover says the Lago Vista City Council approved the 2021-2022 budget on Sept. 27, 2021, and lists all seven members voting aye. The 2021-2022 adopted rate of $0.6070 matched the no-new-revenue rate and was down from the previous year rate of $0.6475.¹¹ The city's notice about 2026 tax rates says a no-new-revenue rate would impose the same amount of taxes as last year "if you compare properties taxed in both years."¹² The city manager's budget letter names Senate Bill 2 and says "the limit requires voter approval before local governments increase property tax revenue by more than 3.5%." It says the council "consciously decided to not increase the revenues to exceed the 3.5% restriction."¹¹

In the year ended Sept. 30, 2022, the Utility Fund transferred $1,600,000 to the General Fund. The final budget for the year ended Sept. 30, 2022, planned a $2,847,568 drop in the General Fund's balance, but the balance actually rose $1,796,928. The annual financial report credits the General Fund's increase in fund balance mainly to "higher than budgeted revenues for licenses and permits and lower than budgeted transfers out."¹³

2022-23

On Sept. 15, 2022, the council approved the 2022-2023 budget 7 to 0, the record vote on the budget's cover shows. The 2022-2023 adopted rate of $0.4283 matched the voter-approval rate and was above the no-new-revenue rate of $0.4099.¹⁴ The Travis County tax assessor-collector's 2026 notice of tax rates for the city says the voter-approval tax rate "is the highest tax rate a taxing unit can adopt without holding an election."¹⁵ The levy ordinance says the rate was lower than the year before but would bring in more revenue, due to "an increase in property valuations in 2022 rather than an increase in actual tax rate."¹⁶ The budget's cover says the 2022-2023 budget "will raise more revenue from property taxes than last year's budget by an amount of ($930,499), which is a (12.0293%) percent increase from last year's budget."¹⁴

The budget letter says the city "will issue Certificate of Obligation bonds to assist with street rehabilitation, upgrades to water and wastewater infrastructure and the replacement of the golf course irrigation to meet TCEQ permitting for effluent disbursement."¹⁴

The final budget for the year ended Sept. 30, 2023, planned a $4,337,496 drop in the General Fund's balance, but the balance actually rose $2,431,293. The General Fund's final budget for the year ended Sept. 30, 2023, had $6,464,910 for capital outlay, and actual capital outlay was $1,294,333.¹⁷

2023-24

The minutes of the Sept. 7, 2023, meeting say the council "voted unanimously to adopt the FY 2023-2024 Annual Budget." Council Member Chelaine Marion was absent from the Sept. 7, 2023, meeting, its minutes show.¹⁸ The 2023-2024 adopted rate of $0.4139 matched the voter-approval rate and was above the no-new-revenue rate of $0.4108. The cover says the 2023-2024 budget would raise $619,461.54 more revenue from property taxes than last year's budget, a 6.8698% increase. It lists the city's outstanding principal balance on Sept. 30, 2023, at $27,740,000.¹⁹ The 2026-27 budget book says the city's property tax rate consists of two components, one for maintenance and operations and one for interest and sinking, "which supports eligible debt service obligations."² The levy ordinance for 2023-2024 set $0.2989 for the General Fund and $0.1150 for the interest and sinking fund.²⁰

On Jan. 18, 2024, the council voted unanimously for an ordinance authorizing the Series 2024 certificates of obligation.²¹ The ordinance authorizes $23,465,000 for city parks, streets, water and wastewater work "to include effluent dispersal irrigation," police radios, and professional and issuance costs. The meeting packet says the certificates are payable from a property tax on all taxable property in the city and a limited pledge of water and sewer surplus revenues "not to exceed $1,000."²²

The annual financial report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2024, lists $23,465,000 of certificates of obligation added that year for governmental activities. By Sept. 30, 2024, the city's total bonds payable for governmental activities stood at $49,566,000. The final budget for the year ended Sept. 30, 2024, planned a $1,579,169 drop in the General Fund's balance. The General Fund's balance actually rose $3,740,485 in the year ended Sept. 30, 2024.²³

The city's Legal Services account grew from $27,383 in 2021-2022 to $468,390 in 2023-2024, the 2025-26 budget book shows. The 2025-26 budget book shows the whole Legal department spent $219,501 in 2021-2022 and $474,430 in 2023-2024. The Legal department's City Attorney line, under personnel services, shows $128,437 in 2021-2022 and no amount in 2023-2024.²⁴ Our earlier story on the city's legal bills covers that rise.

2024-25

The packet for an Aug. 29, 2024, council meeting says discussion with the council on Aug. 6 "suggested a lower Tax Rate below the VAR + Increment Rate used in the original proposed budget" and that "Utility Reserves be used to cover additional funds as needed to balance the General Fund." The Aug. 29, 2024, packet lists the "VAR + Increment" rate at $0.5056.²⁵ The city's notice about 2024 tax rates lists $0.5056 as the voter-approval tax rate and $0.4231 as the no-new-revenue tax rate.²⁶ That makes the packet's VAR plus the increment the same rate the notice calls the voter-approval tax rate.^25,26

The minutes of the Sept. 19, 2024, meeting list Kevin Sullivan as mayor and Chelaine Marion, Shane Saum, Paul Roberts, Stephanie Smith, Paul Prince and Rob Durbin as council members. That night the council adopted the 2024-25 budget 4 to 3, with Sullivan, Marion, Smith and Prince voting aye and Saum, Durbin and Roberts voting no. The council also approved a tax rate of $0.4231 by a 4 to 3 vote, with Saum, Durbin and Roberts voting no.²⁷

On Oct. 3, 2024, a finance staff report said the tax rate's breakdown for maintenance and operations and for interest and sinking needed to be adjusted "to account for the increase debt due to the Certificate of Obligations sold this past February." The staff report for Ordinance No. 24-10-03-01 said the General Fund's rate should be amended to $0.2397 and the interest and sinking fund's rate to $0.1834.²⁸ At a special called meeting on Oct. 3, 2024, the council voted 7 to 0 to approve Ordinance No. 24-10-03-01 as presented.²⁹

On June 26, 2025, Finance Director Nichole Navarro explained that a budget amendment was needed to properly allocate funds for capital improvement projects that had been "inadvertently omitted from the final approved budget," the minutes say. The council voted 5 to 1, with Benefield opposed and Saum not present, to approve the budget amendment with half of the $3,475,000 for the effluent disposal project "to come from bond funds and half from utility reserve, subject to bond counsel approval."³⁰ A summary in the 2026-27 budget book lists $3,329,534.89 from the utility reserve for the effluent pond project's FY 2024-25 design and construction payments. The page says the summary was prepared by the CIP manager and that its amounts "have not been independently reconciled or validated by the Finance Department." The Utility Fund's own pages in that book show $2,963,624 spent on effluent pond rehabilitation in FY 2025.²

The General Fund's property tax revenue was $7,016,916 in the year ended Sept. 30, 2024.²³ It was $5,885,401 in the year ended Sept. 30, 2025.⁴ The Debt Service Fund uses the city's interest and sinking tax levy "to service its existing, related debt," the annual financial report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2021, says.⁵ The Debt Service Fund's property tax revenue was $2,704,369 in the year ended Sept. 30, 2024.²³ It was $4,471,424 in the year ended Sept. 30, 2025.⁴ That is $1,767,055 more for debt in one year (our math, $4,471,424 minus $2,704,369).^4,23

The Utility Fund transferred $2,059,643 to the General Fund in the year ended Sept. 30, 2024.²³ In the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, the Utility Fund transferred $3,643,573 to the General Fund. The annual financial report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, says recurring transfers are used to "move resources from the utility fund to the general fund to subsidize governmental activities." It says the Utility Fund's principal operating revenues are "charges to customers for sales and services."⁴

For the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, the General Fund's original and final budgets each planned a $149,903 gain in fund balance. The General Fund's balance actually grew $3,290,139 in the year ended Sept. 30, 2025.⁴

In the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, the Capital Projects Fund spent $6,702,461 on capital outlay. The Capital Projects Fund had a fund balance of $24,870,674 on Sept. 30, 2025. The table of interfund balances in the annual financial report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, lists the Capital Projects Fund as the receivable fund and the Utility Fund as the payable fund for $4,653,246. It says balances between funds "result mainly from the time lag" in providing services, recording transactions and making payments.⁴

2025-26

The minutes of the Sept. 4, 2025, meeting list Norma Owen as a council member. On Sept. 4, 2025, a motion to set the rate at $0.42000 failed, with Benefield, Owen, Prince and Mayor Sullivan voting against it, the minutes show. The council then voted 4 to 3 to set the rate at $0.430564, which the minutes call "the no new revenue rate," with Saum, Roberts and Durbin voting no.³¹ The city's notice about that rate says it "has been proposed by the governing body of the City of Lago Vista."³²

The 2025-26 budget commentary says the capital fund's $9.5 million of spending, $4 million for street rehabilitation and $5.5 million for effluent golf course irrigation, has "all revenue coming from the 2024 Bond." It says "Debt Service of $4.3M is paid by the I&S portion of Property Taxes."²⁴

City Manager Charles West presented the final 2025-26 budget in a letter dated Sept. 25, 2025.²⁴ At the Sept. 25, 2025, meeting, Council Member Prince referred to his detailed budget analysis posted on the council discussion board, the minutes say. Council Member Benefield asked "whether a budget could be considered balanced if it requires transfers from reserve accounts," the minutes say. Prince responded that the budget is balanced "because all expenses are covered by available funds, regardless of their source," the minutes say. The minutes say Prince called the $1.6 million transfer from the Utility Fund "the lowest in 3-4 years."³³ The adopted 2025-26 book lists $1,600,000 as the 2025-2026 total budget requested for the transfer from utilities, with the note "Reimbursement- Debt Service Payments."²⁴ City Manager West said reserve funds "are only used for one-time purchases, not recurring charges," the minutes say. West said he "had scheduled a meeting with UT Austin to determine appropriate reserve levels," the minutes say.³³

The minutes say Benefield "questioned whether residents could argue they were being overtaxed on utilities to subsidize artificially low property taxes." Benefield also asked about information he had received "suggesting reserves could be depleted by 2030," the minutes say. Mayor Sullivan responded that financial advisors had not raised concerns about depleting reserves, the minutes say. Council Member Owen said her financial model showed reserves would be depleted based on current capital improvement plan needs, the minutes say. Owen said the city had $57 million in cash reserves but $60 million in unfunded capital improvement needs over the next five years, the minutes say. Prince suggested that staff consider using more 2024 bond funds instead of utility reserve funds for utility projects, noting that about 15% of Utility Fund revenue was coming from reserves, the minutes say.³³

The budget's cover says the Lago Vista City Council approved the 2025-2026 budget on Sept. 25, 2025, and lists all seven members voting aye.²⁴ The council also voted 7 to 0 for a tax rate of 42 cents per $100 of value.³³ The cover lists the 2025-2026 adopted rate as $0.420000, lower than the no-new-revenue rate of $0.430564. It says the budget would raise $45,174.06 less from property taxes, "a (.43%) percent decrease from last year's budget."²⁴

Our earlier story on the city manager's settlement covers a later amendment to the previous year's budget that raised its City Manager line.^34,35 The city's note on that change says the former city manager's agreement was paid out and a new city manager had to be relocated.³⁵

2026-27

The 2026 truth-in-taxation calculations for Lago Vista put the city's total taxable value at $2,355,278,574, down from $2,471,868,375 in 2025.¹⁵ Minutes of an Aug. 24, 2026, special meeting, which note that approval is to follow, list all seven members voting for a proposed rate of $0.451988 and none against.³⁶ The city's taxpayer impact statement for fiscal year 2026-2027 lists a median-valued homestead taxable value of $300,463.³ The budget's cover lists Mayor Pro Tem Norma Owen and Council Members Jess Hall, Karen Van Ness and Paul Prince as voting aye on adoption. The budget's cover says the 2026-2027 budget "will raise more total property taxes than last year's budget by $143,182.44, a 1.36 percent increase." "Of that amount $222,186.10 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year," the 2026-2027 cover says. By our math, without the new property the budget would raise $79,003.66 less in property taxes than last year's budget ($143,182.44 minus $222,186.10). The budget book splits the 2026-2027 rate of $0.451988 into $0.265525 for maintenance and operations and $0.186463 for interest and sinking, up from $0.245816 and $0.174184 the year before.² The tax ordinance says the maintenance and operations part will raise taxes on a $100,000 home by about $19.71. It says the interest and sinking part will raise taxes on a $100,000 home by about $12.28.¹

The 2026-27 budget book says General Fund operating expenditures rise $238,341, to $13,126,695 for FY2027, "due to additional employees, a 3% COLA and a cost of goods and services market increase." It says the General Fund budget includes a $1.6 million transfer from the Utility Fund "to cover debt service payments attributable to Utility Fund-related debt obligations."²

Where the 2024 certificate money is going

The 2026-27 budget book includes a summary of the 2024 certificate money prepared by the city's CIP manager. It allocates $12,000,000 to street rehabilitation, $6,135,000 to effluent ponds, $4,095,000 to "LVGC Irrigation" and $394,638.01 to Cedar Breaks repairs. The 2026-2027 budget's Capital Improvement Program lists "completion of the Lago Vista Golf Course irrigation system" among its major projects. The summary counts $11,899,919.12 of certificate money spent to date. It labels $2,295,715.68 as "Potentially Unprogrammed / Available." A note on the page says its amounts "have not been independently reconciled or validated by the Finance Department."² Our earlier story on the golf course fund covers the General Fund's transfers to the golf course and the irrigation contract.

The debt figure on the 2026-27 cover

The 2026-27 budget's cover says the city "has an outstanding principal balance of $65,543,787.30" as of Sept. 30, 2026. The consolidated schedule of bond maturities in the 2026-27 budget book, for the years ending 9/30/2026 through 9/30/2049, shows $70,100,379.31 at the bottom of its TOTAL column. It lists $4,556,592.01 of payments in the year ending 9/30/2026. The cover's $65,543,787.30 equals $70,100,379.31 minus $4,556,592.01 (our math). The consolidated schedule lists $484,013.25 for the 2006 certificates of obligation in the year ending 9/30/2026. The book's schedule of maturities and interest for the Series 2006 certificates shows $19,204.50 of February interest, $455,000 of principal and $9,808.75 of August interest for 2026, a total of $484,013.25. So the consolidated schedule's $484,013.25 for those certificates includes $29,013.25 of interest (our math, $19,204.50 plus $9,808.75).² The debt service requirements table in the annual financial report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, totals $47,767,000 in principal and $23,083,105 in interest for governmental activities.⁴ The 2025-26 budget's cover says the city "has an outstanding principal balance of $47,767,000" as of Sept. 30, 2025.²⁴ The 2026-27 budget book does not explain how the cover's figure was calculated or why the cover calls it principal.²

What it costs taxpayers

The General Fund's unassigned fund balance was $16,244,693 at the end of the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, the annual financial report says. It calls unassigned money "available for spending at the government's discretion." It says the unassigned amount equals about 131% of a year's General Fund spending. The council's financial policy calls for a minimum level of unrestricted fund balance in the General Fund, with a target of 90 days of General Fund annual revenues, about 25%, the annual financial report says.⁴ Across the five budget years from Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2025, the final budgets printed in the annual financial reports planned to shrink the fund by a combined $10,580,677 (our math, adding each year's final-budget change). Instead the fund grew every year, by a combined $11,551,294 (our math, adding each year's actual change).^4,5,13,17,23 Our earlier story on the charter review covers draft charter changes on spending growth, reserve policy and certificates of obligation that have not gone to voters.

The city's 2022 tax notice put the 2021 city tax on the average homestead at $1,378.20.³⁷ The city's 2025 tax notice put the 2024 city tax on the average homestead at $1,397.59.³² That is $19.39 more (our math, $1,397.59 minus $1,378.20).^32,37

The annual financial report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2021, shows $7,432,164 in property taxes in its Total Governmental Funds column.⁵ The annual financial report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, shows $10,356,825 in property taxes in its Total Governmental Funds column.⁴ That is 39.4% more (our math, the rise from $7,432,164 to $10,356,825).^4,5 To compare, we used the same four years for prices and population.

The federal consumer price index for urban consumers was 274.310 in September 2021. The consumer price index was 324.800 in September 2025. That is an 18.4% rise in prices over those four years (our math, the rise from 274.310 to 324.800).³⁸ The Census Bureau estimates Lago Vista had 9,264 residents in 2021 and 10,498 in 2025. That is 13.3% more people (our math, the rise from 9,264 to 10,498).³⁹ Together, the rise in prices and the growth in population come to 34.2% (our math, compounding the rise from 274.310 to 324.800 with the rise from 9,264 to 10,498).^38,39

In 2023-2024, the interest and sinking rate was $0.1150 of the $0.4139 total, or 27.8% (our math, $0.1150 divided by $0.4139).^19,20 After the Oct. 3, 2024, change, the interest and sinking rate was $0.1834 of the $0.4231 total, or 43.3% (our math, $0.1834 divided by $0.4231).^28,29 In 2025-2026, the interest and sinking rate was $0.174184 of the $0.420000 total, or 41.5% (our math, $0.174184 divided by $0.420000).^2,24 Under the rate the council adopted on Sept. 17, 2026, the interest and sinking rate is $0.186463 of the $0.451988 total, or 41.3% (our math, $0.186463 divided by $0.451988).^1,2

In the year ended Sept. 30, 2021, the General Fund spent $9,173,095, including $2,443,142 on general government, $2,344,784 on public safety and $1,084,014 on highways and streets.⁵ In the year ended Sept. 30, 2025, it spent $12,372,677, including $4,074,655 on general government, $3,643,900 on public safety and $872,266 on highways and streets.⁴ General government grew by $1,631,513 (our math, $4,074,655 minus $2,443,142). That was the largest increase among the General Fund's spending areas (our ranking of the financial report lines). Public safety grew by $1,299,116 (our math, $3,643,900 minus $2,344,784). Highways and streets fell by $211,748 (our math, the drop from $1,084,014 to $872,266). It was the only one of the report's six current spending areas to shrink (our ranking of the financial report lines). Total spending rose $3,199,582 (our math, $12,372,677 minus $9,173,095). That is a 34.9% rise (our math, the rise from $9,173,095 to $12,372,677).^4,5

The table below sums up those figures from the annual financial reports.

Fund balances on the tax rate notices

The city's notice about 2026 tax rates lists estimated balances that "will be left in the taxing unit's accounts at the end of the fiscal year" and are "not encumbered by corresponding debt obligation."¹² The city's 2023 notice listed $0 for maintenance and operations.⁴⁰ The city's 2024 notice listed $248,546 for the General Fund.²⁶ The annual financial report's balance sheet for Sept. 30, 2023, lists $248,546 of delinquent taxes receivable in the General Fund.¹⁷ The city's notice about 2025 tax rates listed an estimated unencumbered balance of $302,926 for the General Fund.⁴¹ The governmental funds balance sheet for Sept. 30, 2024, in the annual financial report lists $302,926 for "Taxes receivable - delinquent" in the General Fund column.²³ The city's 2026 notice listed $10,908 for the General Fund.¹² The 2025-26 budget book's General Fund summary shows a $10,908 surplus in the 2025-2026 total budget requested and $15,027,305.65 in expected year-end cash on hand.²⁴ The notices do not show how the city arrived at the balances they list.^12,26,40,41 The Travis County tax assessor-collector's 2026 notice of tax rates for the city lists $0 for both its maintenance and operations balance and its interest and sinking balance.¹⁵

The annual financial report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2023, says, "At the end of the current fiscal year, unassigned fund balance of the general fund was $9,280,067."¹⁷ The annual financial report for the year ended Sept. 30, 2024, says, "At the end of the current fiscal year, unassigned fund balance of the general fund was $12,991,777."²³

Where it stands

The agenda item report on amending the budget ordinance lists Mayor Shane Saum as its submitter. The packet lists "Mayor_Saum_FY27_Revised_Budget_Options.pdf" among the attachments for the ordinance amending Ordinance No. 26-09-17-01. A "Revised Budget Options" page in the Sept. 25, 2026, packet recommends a total tax rate of $0.420000 and $824,192 in General Fund reductions. The agenda's second action item was a resolution amending Resolution No. 26-2223, which ratifies the increase in total property tax revenue in the 2026-2027 budget. As printed in the Sept. 25, 2026, packet, Ordinance No. 26-09-25-02, which amends Ordinance No. 26-09-17-02, leaves its tax rate blank.¹

At the Sept. 25, 2026, special meeting, Council Member Benefield moved to approve Ordinance No. 26-09-25-01, adopting the amended 2026-27 budget "as detailed in Exhibit A," the mayor's revised budget options, with a total tax rate of 0.42, the meeting video shows.⁴² After a roll call on the pending motion, the chair said "motion fails," the meeting video shows.⁶ The motion to lower the rate to $0.446795 failed 2 to 5, the meeting video shows.⁷ The mayor then said there was no other business on the action items, and the meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m., the meeting video shows.⁸

What we could not find

• Why the General Fund's final budgets kept planning reserve draws through the year ended Sept. 30, 2024, even as the fund grew every year. The records we reviewed do not say.²³
• Whether the city sets any ceiling on the General Fund's reserve. Its financial policy sets a minimum level with a target of 90 days of revenue, and the records we reviewed set no maximum.⁴
• What the $4,653,246 the Utility Fund owed the Capital Projects Fund on Sept. 30, 2025, is for. The annual financial report's note explains balances between funds only in general terms.⁴
• Whether bond counsel approved paying half of the effluent disposal project with bond money. The records we reviewed do not say.³⁰
• How the $3,329,534.89 the CIP manager's summary lists from the utility reserve fits the council's plan to pay half of the $3,475,000 effluent project with bond money, and the $2,963,624 the Utility Fund's own pages show spent. The records we reviewed do not reconcile them.²
• Why the 2026-27 cover calls $65,543,787.30 an outstanding principal balance. The 2026-27 budget book does not say.²
• Why the unencumbered fund balances on the city's 2024, 2025 and 2026 tax rate notices match delinquent taxes and planned surpluses in other city records. The notices do not say.^12,26,41

What you can do

The city's Open Records Request page says Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, "gives you the right to access government records." The page says the Office of the City Secretary oversees requests for public information. The page says the city "has up to ten business days in which to respond" to a request.⁴³ Records worth asking for include these.

• The city's reserve policy and any plan for the General Fund's balance above its target.
• The calculation behind the Utility Fund's transfer to the General Fund, including which debts it covers.
• Any Finance Department reconciliation of the certificate of obligation money in the Capital Projects Fund.
• The effluent pond project's payment ledger, and any bond counsel opinion on paying for it with bond money.
• Records showing what the Utility Fund owes the Capital Projects Fund, and why.
• The Finance Department's calculation of the outstanding principal balance on the newest budget's cover.
• The city's calculation behind the unencumbered fund balances on its recent tax rate notices.

The Sept. 25, 2026, agenda says residents who want to speak during citizen comments "must submit a completed form," which is found on the city's website.¹ The city's minutes say video recordings of most city meetings can be viewed online.³³

If you have records on this, you can share them with us at /share-records. We protect your identity and publish the evidence when we can do so safely.