Pflugerville Approves FY20 Budget, Maintains Current Tax Rate

PFLUGERVILLE, TX — City council members on Tuesday approved the city's fiscal year 2020 budget, keeping the tax rate at the current rate.

Budget approval came during the Sept. 24 meeting of the Pflugerville City Council, during which officials opted to maintain the tax rate at the current .4976 per $100 valuation.

“The final tax rate is an effort to alleviate resident concerns about rising property taxes and home values, while also producing a budget that is an investment in our community and our downtown,” Mayor Victor Gonzales said in a prepared statement. “We heard our citizens tell us what they wanted from their City, and we have approved a budget and tax rate that is both fiscally conservative while allowing us to purchase the needs we have that make Pflugerville where quality meets life. City Council dug into the budget and made cuts to preserve the current tax rate for our citizens at .4976 while taking advantage of recent sales tax growth to cover our needs.“

Toward achieving the budget, council first unanimously approved a motion by council member Jim McDonald adopting the FY20 budget as proposed by staff while amending the Transit System Pilot Program from approximately $276,000 to $177,000 and increasing city sales tax revenue projections to $11.15 million. City staff recommended the increase in projected sales tax revenues for FY20 based on actual sales tax revenues received for FY19, officials said.

Next, in a vote of 5 to 1, the council approved a motion by council member Doug Weiss to set the tax rate at .4976, the same rate as FY19.

The city represents 19.7 percent of a resident’s total property tax bill, officials explained. The upshot: The average Pflugerville homeowner with a $254,485 home would pay $1266.32 to the city. For each dollar paid to the city, 34 cents supports law enforcement, 19 cents supports administrative services, 16 cents supports community services, 16 cents supports public works and 15 cents supports development services, officials detailed.

Officials suggested the budget passage was informed by a citizen survey conducted in May 2019 that yielded traffic management, transit system development, jobs/economic development, and enhancements to downtown Pflugerville as the four top issues that need emphasis from city leaders. The approved budget addresses many of these resident recommendations, officials noted.

Budget highlights:

• Street projects and repairs include Old Austin Hutto Road and Kelly Lane. Additional funds are allocated for maintenance and street repairs.
• Park improvements include Wilbarger Creek Park, Lake Pflugerville upgrades, a Gilleland Pool Restroom, and Stone Hill Splash Pad.
• 13 New positions: Senior Planner, Code Compliance Officer, Environmental Specialist, Senior Engineer, Parks Operation Technician and two Patrol Officers, Utility Foreman, Regulatory Operator, two Water Treatment Plant Operators, two Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators.
• City-wide Comprehensive Plan.
• Downtown Utilities Inventory and Location Analysis.
• American Disabilities Act Transition Plan.
• Traffic Signal Study.
• Phase 2 Drainage Master Plan.
• Transit System Pilot Program.

The budget will go into effect starting Oct. 1, 2019.