Rockwall City Council adopts budget and tax rate

(Rockwall) September 5, 2013 – The City Council adopted a budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year budget and tax rate on Tuesday, September 3, 2013.

The City of Rockwall did not increase the tax rate this year.  This decision follows a slight reduction approved last year.  The budget is based on a tax rate of 50.25 cents per $100 valuation, which is the current rate property owners pay now.  Key elements of this year’s budget are the funding of four new full-time firefighters in the Fire Department, two new School Resource Officers (SRO) and two new 9-1-1 Dispatchers in the Police Department.  The new SRO positions were a result of the Rockwall ISD requesting additional officers to work in their elementary schools.  The school district will pay 75% of both officer’s salary and benefits.  When school is not in session, the officers will be assigned to other divisions of the department.

Beginning October 1^st, the Rockwall Police Department will also begin dispatching for the City of Fate’s Department of Public Safety.  With the additional calls for service from Fate, this budget addresses the necessary staff to provide that service and promotes regional cooperation among area public safety agencies.  The City of Fate will fund the new positions.

The budget funds water and wastewater system maintenance and operations for the upcoming year and assumes a 10% increase in utility rates.  This proposal will be presented to the City Council later this fall and if approved, will take effect in January 2014.  The costs associated with city utilities continue to be impacted by rising expenses the city must pay for treated water, which are related to capital improvements by the North Texas Municipal Water District in response to regulatory compliance requirements, the zebra mussel issue, and the drought.  The NTMWD also operates the city’s wastewater treatment plants and those costs continue to increase as well.

Sales tax revenue exceeded expectations this year, which is allowing the city to fund a number of capital items that are one-time expenses with general fund reserves instead of issuing short-term debt.  The majority of these expenditures will address individual department’s aging fleet and other items needed to continue providing services to the citizens of Rockwall.

“Funding of public safety has been a top priority of the council and this budget achieves our goals for this year,” said Mayor David Sweet.

The budget also addresses roadway maintenance, police and fire equipment, parks and recreation needs, technology needs, and pays this year’s debt payment for new roads and the downtown improvements approved in the 2012 bond election.

“The City Council recognized that it had to conservatively forecast sales tax revenue coupled with steady growth in property values over the last few years during uncertain economic times,” Mayor Sweet said. “By doing so, the city is now in the position to use several funding options to provide services and programs to its citizens without putting the additional burden on the tax payers.”

The new budget goes into effect on October 1, 2013.

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  budget, City Council, Rockwall, tax rate