Page 12 - CityofBurlesonFY26Budget

maintenance and operations, and $0.2285 is dedicated to general obligation debt service. The
maintenance and operations tax rate will increase by $0.0229 for FY25-26 in comparison to FY24-
25, and the debt service component of the tax rate will increase by $0.0362 to provide sufficient
funding to support the city’s critical infrastructure initiatives. The portion of the tax
rate dedicated to maintenance and operations comprises 68.34% of the adopted revenue in
the general fund. The portion of the tax rate dedicated to debt service is approximately
31.66% of the overall city tax rate. The city continues to maintain a level below a
reasonable debt management policy limit of 40% of the overall city tax rate.

The blended average taxable single-family home value for the 2025 tax year is $300,210 in
Tarrant and Johnson County. This reflects an increase of $321 or 0.001% from the previous
year. At the adopted tax rate of $0.7218, the municipal taxes paid on the average single-family
home will be $2,166.92, which is an average increase of $179.56 annually.

Sales Tax

The city of Burleson levies a 2.00% tax on all taxable items sold within its borders. Of that, 1% is
remitted to the city’s general fund, 0.50% to the 4A corporation, and 0.50% to the 4B
corporation. Overall, the adopted budget includes $31,974,928 in sales tax revenues,
compared to $30,575,376 in the FY24-25 budget. This is largely attributable to the
continuing retail and commercial development growth in Burleson. The 1% sales and use tax
reported to the general fund comprises 18.59% of revenue in the adopted budget. See the
Economic Development section below, which reflects significant retail developments and
projections. The adopted budget reflects a conservative sales tax estimate of 3% growth from
the current year projection. Due to current economic conditions and our conservative
approach, we have not projected significant sales tax from new retail establishments.

Employee Compensation and Benefits

Sworn fire and police personnel are on a step plan and civilian pay is based on a performance
merit system. The police and fire sworn personnel (full-time and part-time) will receive a
3% increase on October 1, 2025, as part of the step plan. In addition to the step plan, the
FY25-26 budget includes an additional market-based adjustment for police and fire personnel
to ensure the city continues to offer competitive compensation for its first responders. The
city’s non-sworn employees on average will see a 3% merit increase based on their annual
performance. The effective date of the merit increase is also October 1, 2025.

The city has historically provided a competitive and innovative benefits package to
employees, offering a selection which best suits employees’ individual and family needs.
Providing these options has benefited not only recruitment efforts, but also retention
of employees. The city’s estimated contribution for employee healthcare benefits is

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