Page 37 - CITY OF AZLE, TEXAS

2. For every annual budget the City shall levy two property tax rates:
maintenance/operations (M&O) and debt service (I&S). The debt service levy
shall be sufficient for meeting all principal and interest payments associated with
the City’s outstanding general obligation debt for that budget year. The debt
service levy and related debt service expenditure shall be accounted for in the
Debt Service Fund. The maintenance and operation levy shall be accounted for
in the General Fund. The maintenance and operation levy shall not exceed the
no-new-revenue tax rate and the de minimis rate as defined by the State of
Texas Property Tax Code unless deemed necessary by and adopted by a sixty
percent (60%) majority vote of the City Council.

3. The City will maintain a policy of levying the lowest tax rate as is practical on the
broadest tax base. Minimal exceptions will be provided to homeowners, senior
citizens, and disabled veterans.

4. The City will establish user charges and fees at a level that attempts to recover
the full cost of providing the services.
a. User fees, particularly utility rates, should identify the relative costs of
serving different classes of customers.
b. Where possible, utility rates should be designed to reduce peak (hour and
day) demands on the utility systems.
c. The City will make every reasonable effort to ensure accurate
measurement of variable impacting taxes and fees (e.g. verification of
business sales tax payments, verification of appraisal district property
values, and accuracy of water meters).

5. The City will attempt to maximize the application of its financial resources by
obtaining supplementary funding through agreements with other public and
private agencies for the provision of public services or the construction of capital
improvements.

6. The City will consider market rates and charges levied by other public and private
organizations for similar services in establishing tax rates, fees and charges.

7. When developing the annual budget, the City Manager shall project revenues
from every source based on actual collections from the preceding year and
estimated collection of the current fiscal year, while taking into account known
circumstances which will impact revenues for the new fiscal year. The revenue
projections for each fund should be made conservatively so that total actual fund
revenues exceeded budgeted projections.

OPERATING EXPENDITURES

1. Operating expenditures shall be accounted, reported, and budgeted for in the
following major categories:

City of Azle FY 2023-2024 Budget 26