Page 15 - CityofArlingtonFY26AdoptedBudget

Business Plan

The City of Arlington develops an annual Business Plan to serve as a strategic guide for major initiatives and key projects
aligned with the adopted Budget. This plan is shaped by departmental proposals, City Manager recommendations, and most
importantly, City Council policy direction. It operates on the City’s fiscal year, from October 1 through September 30, and
provides a framework for delivering services and programs that reflect the evolving priorities of the community.

Each year, the Arlington City Council holds a strategic planning retreat to assess community needs and set priorities for the
year ahead. This process is rooted in a broad range of inputs, including citizen satisfaction data, trends in development and
demographics, and ongoing feedback from residents and local businesses. The retreat provides a space for Council to reflect,
deliberate, and adjust its policy focus to ensure that City efforts are responsive, targeted, and future-ready.

This year, Council took the intentional step in revisiting the City’s long-standing policy framework. Recognizing that Arlington is
experiencing structural and social changes, including shifting development dynamics, economic pressures, and evolving public
expectations, Council elected to update and streamline its priorities for FY 2026. The goal was to better align City resources
and operations with the realities of today and the challenges of tomorrow.

For FY 2026, the Arlington City Council adopted four priorities to guide organizational focus and investment:

Preserve Financial Strengthen Our
Enhance Mobility Grow Our Economy
Stability and Resilience Communities

These new priorities replace the previous framework, which included “Build Unity,” “Champion Great Neighborhoods,” “Invest
in Our Economy,” and others, with a more focused, streamlined structure. This shift is designed to sharpen the City’s direction
while still encompassing the broad scope of municipal responsibilities.

To ensure accountability and track progress, scorecards have been developed for each priority, reflecting operational activities
and key performance measures across departments. These scorecards are included in the project section of the Business Plan
and updated quarterly. They are reviewed by the City Manager’s Office and shared with City Council and are also available to
the public on the City’s website.

FY 2026 Proposed Budget and Business Plan 9 City of Arlington, Texas