At their August 27 meeting, the League City Council unanimously approved
the first reading of a budget for Fiscal Year 2020 that keeps the City at an
effective tax rate. For League City homeowners, this means property taxes per
$100 of evaluation will be $0.548581, which is lower than the FY 2019 adopted
rate of $0.5638. A second reading of the budget is scheduled for the Council’s
September 10 meeting and the tax rate will be officially adopted October 8.
The total League
City budget for FY 2020 is $251,224,577 with $140,408,443 for expenditures on City operations and $110,816,134 for capital improvement projects. The FY 2020 budget includes funding to support the current level of existing City services along with expansion and growth in several areas including:
- Funding for (1) update of water, sewer, lift station design, and construction standards (2) along with water contract purchases (3) and funding to increase the City’s raw water supply.
- Continuation of the City’s reinvestment program to refurbish and renew existing streets, parks, and facilities.
- Funding for ambulance computers for electronic patient care and computer assisted dispatch.
- Funding for the Fire Department to purchase hazardous material equipment and ten new dry suits for dive team.
- Funding for a forensic DNA collection system field unit for the Police Department.
- Additional funding for traffic control supplies to purchase more signage, school zone clocks, solar tech message boards, and additional intersection signal upgrades as well as new utility trailer for Streets Department.
- Funding for herbicide program to spray nuisance vegetation to maintain right of ways.
- Funding for contract increases for manicured mowing, rough cut mowing, and the addition of mowing satellite park property.
- Additional funding for Parks and Recreation supplies needed to expand sump camp programming for an additional 50 children as well as equipment and materials needed for maintenance and repairs at City parks.
- Additional funding for building inspectors to obtain multiple certifications to create combination inspectors with a master license in at least one trade.
- Additional funding for library purchases previously paid with county funds to allow those funds to be spent on additional eBooks and for additional library programming and speakers.
- Funding for enhanced service levels in the Communications Department to advertise and market City events and town halls across various media outlets.
- Additional 21.25 full time equivalent(FTE) positions including two full-time paramedics, a floodplain administrator/drainage engineer, two park maintenance workers, a grant administrator, a water utility operator, an evidence technician, a wastewater utility maintenance crew leader, a water utility operator, and various other positions.
- Employee health insurance cost increase and compensation increase, including cost of living and STEP raises for civil service police officers.
- Funding for anticipated increases in property insurance, windstorm insurance, janitorial contract services, and solid waste due to growth in number of households serviced
City Manager John Baumgartner and Budget Director Angie Steelman discussed the FY 2020 budget with Communications Director Sarah Greer Osborne during an August 28 “Lunch and Learn”.