Page 15 - HaltomCityFY26Budget

CONCLUSION

As always, we strive to strike the balance between fiscal responsibility to our citizenry, taking care of our
employees, and providing the highest level of municipal services to our community by maximizing the
effectiveness and efficiencies of our resources. We are confident this budget will strike that balance.

This year we have accomplished the milestone of adopting the lowest tax rate in 20 years. We have shaved
over fourteen cents off the City’s property tax rate since the 2017 tax year!

This adopted budget includes:

• Increase employee compensation by 5% to maintain and attract competent staffing levels.
• Continued progress on future Streets, Drainage, and Water/ Sewer improvement and
maintenance projects.

• Replacement of inoperable, worn-out, and outdated vehicles and equipment.

Our future goal will be to continue broadening the tax base utilizing the 3-pronged approach of attracting
job-creating businesses, increasing new residential housing, and holding to development and code
standards that are showing tremendous results.

The right kind of economic growth will be the answer to sustain our current path.

Together, we will continually create a community environment where families flourish, and businesses
prosper.

Finally, I know you will agree to express appreciation and recognition to our staff for the many months
of hard and tedious work preparing this budget. We have continued our focus on conservative
fiscal management and commitment to the Council’s Value Statements of dependability, integrity,
responsiveness, respectfulness, and accountability.

Great civic-minded citizens, effective and efficient management, strong servant leadership, fiscal
responsibility, and significant economic growth are the overall factors that have been and will continue to
be the key to our success.

Respectfully and sincerely,

Rex Phelps, City Manager