Page 14 - WestworthVillageFY26AdoptedBudget
P. 14

14




                                              GENERAL FUND



             The city uses a conservative approach to budgeting its revenue and expenses, as we are unable
             to predict emergencies, direct and indirect state mandates that negatively impact revenues, and
             commercial businesses and local growth. The  two  major  sources of revenue for the General
             Fund  are  ad  valorem and  general  sales  taxes,  making  up  81%  of  city’s  total  revenue.  The

             remaining revenue is generated from franchise fees, permit fees, and court fines and fees.

                •  Sales tax revenue is dependent on the goods and services sold at Westworth Village
                    businesses and is affected by our local retailers’ successes and failures, area workforce
                    stability, and the overall stability in the U.S. market. The sales tax rate in Tarrant County
                    is 8.25%, of which two cents of every sales dollar goes to Westworth Village. One cent is
                    used as revenue in the general fund, ½ cent is used to fund CCPD, ¼ cent for the street
                    fund, and ¼ cent for economic development. We encourage everyone to support our local
                    Westworth  Village  businesses  –  this  increases  sales  tax  revenue  which  helps  keep
                    property taxes low, and it increases local job opportunities.


                •  Ad Valorem tax revenue, also known as property taxes, is affected by state-imposed
                    limitations on increases. The city only collects a small portion of your total property tax.
                    The majority of the total amount collected goes to Tarrant County services and Fort Worth
                    ISD. This budget is based on no change to the current ad valorem      tax rate of $0.475 per

                    $100  of  appraised  value.  To  view  how  Westworth  Village  ad  valorem tax  rates  very
                    favorably  compare  to  other  areas  in  Tarrant  and  surrounding  counties,  visit  the
                    tarranttaxinfo.com website.

             General Fund revenue is used to fund the following public services:
                •  Administration
                •  Facilities
                •  Police
                •  Municipal Court
                •  Fire Protection/Prevention and Emergency Medical Services
                •  Library Services

             Some key points of change affecting revenue this year include:
                •  Overall, general fund revenue is projected to be slightly less than last year due to flat

                    sales tax projections, and slightly decreased ad valorem tax projections. We are also
                    projecting a decrease in revenue from franchise fee and permit fees, mainly due to no
                    new commercial construction plans, new state mandates, and a continued decline in
                    construction.
                •  Sales  tax  revenue  was  projected  using  a  rolling  12  months  of  prior  actual  sales  tax.
                    Looking historically at sales tax revenue, FY23 was seven percent over FY22, and FY24
                    was five percent over FY23. However, FY25 is expected to close at the same value as
                    FY23.  Therefore, sales forecasts remain flat in the coming year.
                •  Maintaining the current ad valorem    tax rate based on the TAD estimated net property tax
                    value of $523,140,907. Changes in TAD valuation practices and generously accepted
                    protest valuation decreases, coupled with the state legislation on property tax cuts, will
                    inevitably impact the city into the future.



                                              www.cityofwestworth.com
   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19