Page 30 - FY 2021-22 ADOPTED BUDGET
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challenge and still be able to increase employee benefits, enhance services to the public, and maintain or lower the
        current property tax rate - without significantly impacting the City's superb financial condition.  The Operating Funds
        Budget for 2025-26 does not include the use of General Fund reserves, other than a planned transfer; the Operating
        Funds fund balance is projected to end the 2025-26 Budget year at $24,140,970.

        The 2025-26 Budget reflects the use of $600,000 from General Fund.  The City philosophy is to save for future

        projects by making transfers from the General Fund to the Capital Projects funds each year. The General Fund
        budget is balanced with these transfers in mind. The $600,000 transfer consists of a transfer of $550,000 to the
        Capital Asset Replacement Fund to purchase capital outlay items in the future, and a transfer of $50,000 to the
        IT/Facilities Fund for possible use with the new municipal complex.  General Fund revenues and transfers in are
        projected to equal expected expenditures and transfers out.

        The 2025-26 Budget does not include the use of Debt Service Fund reserves to finance principal and interest
        payments for General Obligation bonds.  For this fiscal year, an estimated $5,486 will be added to Debt Service Fund

        reserves.  The fund balance of the Debt Service Fund is projected to increase from $387,533 to $393,019.  Reserves
        are restricted; the only allowable use is to pay principal on general obligation bonds and certificates of obligation
        bonds, interest on bonds and certificates, and agent fees.

        PROPERTY TAX RATE

        The City’s property tax rate is always the focus of the budget. After reviewing the change in assessed valuations and
        considering potential commercial development in the upcoming years, City Council established the property tax
        rate at $0.5550 per $100 valuation, which is the same as the 2024-25 adopted rate.  The General Fund portion of
        the property tax rate was reduced by $0.0002 from $0.5193 to $0.5191.  The Debt Service Fund portion of the
        property tax rate was increased by $0.0002 from $0.0357 to $0.0359. The City was able to maintain its overall tax
        rate and adopt a rate below the Voter-Approval rate while still balancing the budget.


                          Property Tax Rate Comparison              FY 2025-26         FY 2024-25

                      No-New-Revenue Tax Rate                      $       0.550695   $       0.559066
                      Voter-Approval Tax Rate                      $       0.609754   $       0.615358



                      Adopted Tax Rate:
                      M&O Tax Rate                                 $       0.519100   $       0.519300

                      Debt Tax Rate                                $       0.035900   $       0.035700
                      Total Tax Rate                               $       0.555000   $       0.555000


        The certified tax roll received from the Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) in July 2025 shows the total appraised value
        of property in Benbrook at $3,958,720,801; TAD provided revised assessed valuation and property tax data in
        September 2025; however, the July 2025 totals are used for all 2025-26 budget calculations.  Total exemptions
        (over-65,  homestead,  disability,  veterans,  pro-rated  absolute,  and  nominal  value  -  below  $500)  and  total

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