Hey, how are you?

Thank you for being in here.

Well, good evening, everybody.

Go ahead and call the Arlington City Council session to order.

Welcome to everybody.

I'm gonna invite Reverend Charles Powell from the Mount Olive Baptist Church to please come forward for an invocation.

Please stand if you're able.

We thank you for these civil servants who work so hard, Fatherland is so dedicated to our wonderful city.

Father, we thank you so much.

And we ask you richest blessings of all of our lives, our entire lives.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Please join up for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flags of America.

I pledge the reasons to be Texas.

One and individual.

Please be seated.

You think as many times we do it and I want to get tongue tied.

Okay.

Ms.

Garcia, speaker guidelines in general decorum, please.

We ask that the citizens and other visitors in attendance assist in preserving the order and decorum of this meeting, and to provide for attendance at and participation in the meeting without fear of intimidation, threats, or hostility.

Any person making personal, profane, hostile, slanderous, or threatening remarks who uses vulgar or seen language, who engages in any other actions that disturb or are calculated to disturb the meeting or who become disruptive while addressing the mayor and the city council or while attending the city council meeting may be removed from the council chambers.

All speakers shall address the count city council and not the audience or city staff and shall not call out individually named members of city staff or the public.

For speakers tonight, when your name is called, please come to the microphone at the podium and state your name and city of residence for the record.

Speakers may not use music, videos, or other forms of media, signs, or props during public hearings for zoning cases.

The applicant will be asked to speak first and will be given five minutes to make a presentation.

Speakers and supporter opposition of the item will be given three minutes each to make their statements.

The applicant will then be given three minutes for any rebuttal.

For all other items on the agenda, speakers will be given three minutes to speak.

If multiple speakers plan to provide the same or similar comments, those speakers may, if they so desire, designate one or more individuals to provide public comment on behalf of the group.

A bell will signal the end of each speaker's time in consideration of other speakers.

Please conclude your comments promptly when you hear the bell.

We ask that you address your comments to the mayor and council.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

We're gonna move on down to item number 4.1, Ms.

Kerry Parker Barry.

Good evening, Mayor and Council, Carrie Parker Barry, Director of Commission and Event Services.

I'm here before you for the first reading of an ordinance, accepting and approving an updated service and assessment plan and accepting and adopting the FY 2026 assessment role for the Arlington Tourism Public Improvement District of the City of Arlington.

Leveling the assessments of the assessed parcels, appearing on said role, and providing for and requiring the payment of the assessment and related matters.

This is year 10 of the tenure PID.

The total number of hotel properties subject to the ATP assessment is now 51.

I will entertain any questions if you ma'am.

Miss Garcia, do we have any speakers on this item?

We do not, Mayor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm going to close the public hearing.

I have a motion from Councilmember Boxell.

Can I have a second, please?

A second from Councilmember Galante.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Gonzalez, your vote.

In favor.

Thank you.

Mr.

Hogg, your vote.

Aye.

Thank you, sir.

Councilmember Pham.

Yes.

And the motion passes.

Move on down to 4.2.

Dr.

Flores.

Good evening, Mayor, members of City Council.

My name is Dr.

Veneera Flores Stafford and Interim Director in Parks and Recreation.

This evening I bring to you for your consideration the first reading of an ordinance related to the Lamar Boulevard Public Improvement District.

The action approves the updated service assessment plan and adopts the assessment roll.

It also sets the annual assessment rate and levies the assessments on the benefiting properties.

The district was created to support maintenance and enhancements along Lamar Boulevard.

In your packet, you will find the details.

And with that, are there any questions?

Thank you, ma'am.

Ms.

Garcia, any speakers on this item?

We do not have any speakers, Mayor.

Thank you.

I'm going to close the public hearing.

I have a motion from Councilmember Odom Wesley.

A second from Councilmember Galante.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Gonzalez, your vote.

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Hogg, your vote.

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

Councilmember of Longfame, yes.

Thank you.

We're going to move on down to 4.3, Mr.

Garcia.

Good evening, Mayor.

Council Gus Garcia, Director of Economic Development Services.

Uh today we bring to you the updated downtown business improvement district and assessment plan enroll and setting the assessment rate and levying assessments.

What's technically an annual updated renewal?

What's special about this is that this is the renewal of the 10-year bid in the downtown bid through the efforts of many, many people, including Maggie Campbell, Doreen Bruner, Garrett Martin, and of course our finance team was able to get the renewal of the bid with overwhelming 62 percent approval.

In your packet are all of the members of the assessment and all of the buildings and property owners so here today to answer any questions.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, do we have any speakers in this item?

We only have two non-speakers in support, Mayor.

Thank you, ma'am.

I'm gonna close the public hearing.

I have a motion from Councilmember Boxell, a second from Councilmember Galante.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Gonzalez, your vote.

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Hogg, your vote.

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

And the motion passes.

4.4, Ms.

Waters.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

My name is Devin Waters, budget manager.

This evening, for you before you, I have on first reading the adoption of the fiscal year 26 operating budget.

On August 5th, 2025, the city manager presented the proposed fiscal year 26 operating budget to the city council.

Since that time, two town hall meetings and multiple city council work sessions have been conducted to facilitate additional discussion and gather public input.

As a result, the proposed FY26 operating budget has been revised as follows.

Increase revenue in the general fund by 146,012.

Decrease expenditures in the general fund by $98,813, and increase expenditures in the street maintenance fund by 245,000 dollars.

Section 10206 of the Texas Local Government Code requires a public hearing on the fiscal year 26 operating budget.

Following the public hearing, the governing body must take action on the budget.

Should you approve the budget tonight?

The second and final reading is scheduled for September 16th, 2025.

That's all I'm available to answer any questions that you may have.

Thank you, ma'am.

Ms.

Garcia, do we have any speakers on this item?

We have one speaker in opposition, Larry McFarland.

Mr.

McFarlane.

Thank you for allowing me to speak.

My name is Larry McFarland.

I'm from Arlington.

And I'm talking about this, the 2026 budget.

Now, while I commend the city on slimming down to the very bare bones, the 2026 budget increase, or do we call it an adjustment?

Whatever.

Anyway, slimming it down to the point where it's only two times the rate of inflation, double.

It's really not good enough because I know it's a huge improvement over previous years where the budget increase was like three or four times inflation.

Oh my gosh.

But I mean, when you look at the budget, and when there's one position change, we eliminate one person, and the budget falls by $300,000.

It's clearly time for somebody else to take a look at this.

Think I'm kidding?

Take a look at it yourself.

Page 139.

Do the math.

It's a huge amount of money.

And if that same philosophy is used in the rest of the budget, oh my goodness.

I mean to look at the budget.

You hold it up to your nose.

Sniff it.

Oh, it smells like breakfast.

Um I mean it smells just like Jimmy Dean in a frying pan.

I know each one of you is looking forward to my annual state of the budget email.

And I'm sorry I haven't gotten that to you yet.

Uh I've been busy.

However, I'm certain each and every one of you has spent several hours, I don't know, maybe some weeks, looking at this budget and comparing it to FY 25, FY24, and comparing it to the rate of inflation.

You probably looked at that and compared it over prior years, just like I have.

And you've probably come to similar conclusions.

While the proposed budget is not a pure work of fiction, it does need significant improvement.

And I recommend you do not approve but instead request a rewrite that mirrors inflation.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, any other speakers?

We have no other speakers, Mayor.

Thank you, ma'am.

I'm going to close the public hearing.

I have a motion from Councilmember Galante.

A second from Councilmember Odom Wesley.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Gonzalez, your vote, please.

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Hogg, your vote, please.

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

And the motion passes.

4.5, Ms.

Waters.

Good evening again.

Devin Waters, budget manager.

This is the first reading of levying the taxes for fiscal year 2026.

Municipalities are required to levy taxes in accordance with an adopted budget.

To support the fiscal year 2026 operating budget, the ad valorum tax rate is set at.26298 per 100 of assessed valuation.

In compliance with state law, this rate must be adopted in two components.4446 for the general fund operations and maintenance.

Under Texas Tax Code 2605, if the proposed tax rate exceeds the no new revenue rate, at least 60 percent of the governing body must vote in favor of the ordinance adopting the rate.

If approved, the second and final reading of the ordinance levying ad valorum taxes for FY26 is scheduled for September 16th, 2025.

And I'm available for any questions.

Thank you, ma'am.

Ms.

Garcia, do we have any speakers on this item?

We do, Mayor.

We have one speaker in opposition, Larry McFarland.

Mr.

McFarland.

Mayor and Council.

My name is Larry McFarland.

And I'm speaking on the item 4.5 levying taxes for fiscal 2026.

Now, attempting to obfuscate the facts by calling it an adjustment does not simply justify a new rate.

The proper number would only be the no new revenue rate.

Let me read a quote from this document.

This tax rate will raise more taxes for maintenance and operation than last year's tax rate.

The tax rate will effectively be raised by 9.6 percent.

These are not my words, these are the city's words.

So almost a 10 percent rate increase in an environment where inflation is say it with me, 2 percent.

This tax rate increase and all the spin about how great the exemptions are, please.

This exemptions, they're simply a band-aid to the government's inability to accurately define a tax rate.

Everyone knows this.

But we've always done it this way.

Well, maybe we have a 9.6 percent increase in a period of 2 percent inflation and rising property valuations, significantly new property additions to the base.

The only right answer here is the no new revenue rate.

Anything else is just a cop out.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, any other speakers on this?

There are no other speakers, Mayor.

Thank you, ma'am.

The Arlington City Council will vote on the proposed tax rate tonight upon closing this public hearing and at the September 16th, 2025 City Council meeting.

The September 16th, 2025 meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

And we be will be held in the Arlington City Council Chambers located in the Arlington Municipal Building at 101 West Abram Street, Arlington, Texas, 76010.

I'm gonna close the public hearing.

Um recognize Dr.

Odom Wesley.

Do you have a motion on this, please?

Yes, Mayor.

I move that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of 62 and 98 hundredths of a cent per 100 valuation, which is effectively a 4.8% increase in the tax rate.

Thank you, Dr.

Odom Wesley.

I have a second from Councilmember FAM.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Gonzalez, your vote, please.

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Hogg, your vote, please.

Nay.

Thank you, sir.

And the motion passes.

We're gonna move on down to 5.1.

Ms.

Waters.

This is my last time tonight.

Good evening again.

Devin Waters, budget manager.

I have on first reading an ordinance of the ratification of the tax increase for the FY2026 operating budget.

Texas Local Government Code, Section 10207, requires a separate vote of the governing body to ratify any property tax increase reflected in the budget if the adopted budget raises more revenue from property taxes than the previous year.

The fiscal year 2026 budget as adopted on first reading includes an increase in property tax revenue compared to last year.

Therefore, in accordance with state law, the city council must take a separate vote to ratify the property tax increase included in the budget.

Thank you, ma'am.

Ms.

Garcia, are there any speakers on this item?

Yes, Mayor.

We have one speaker in opposition, Larry McMarland.

Mr.

McFarland.

I think you and Ms.

Waters should just sit next to each other, so neither one of y'all have a long wall.

It's a team thing.

It's a team thing.

Mayor and Council, thank you for allowing me to speak yet again on item 5.1 ratification of tax increase in FY 2026 operating budget.

Well, I do commend the use of the words tax increase, because that represents the facts.

Let's all speak facts rather than words meant to deflect readers away from the truth.

But I do recommend a vote a vote of no on this item, as many citizens of Arlington do.

And I would refer you to the organization chart on page seven of the FY26 budget.

That shows you the hierarchy of who should be making this decision.

Now, while there's a bazillion Facebook posts on there saying, please spend less money, please.

There's a dearth of comments that say, Oh, we need a bigger city budget.

So if you weigh in that on what decisions you make for how big these budget things are or these tax increases are, you should look at that because those people are speaking truth.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, any other speakers on this item?

There are no other speakers, Mayor.

Thank you, ma'am.

I have a count.

I have a motion from Councilmember Odom Wesley and a second from Councilmember Pham.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Gonzalez, your vote, please.

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Hogg, your vote, please.

Nay.

Thank you, sir.

The motion passes.

Move on down to 5.2.

Mr.

Whiteway.

Good evening, Mayor and Council, Alex Whiteway, Director of Water Utilities.

I'm here for the first reading of an ordinance amending the water and sewer chapter of the code of the City of Arlington through the amendment of Article 3, charges for water and sewer service and water and sewer rates.

This will become effective October 1st, 2025.

I'm open to any questions you may have.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, any speakers on this item?

We have no speakers.

Thank you, ma'am.

I have a motion from Councilmember Hunter.

A second from Councilmember Peel.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Gonzalez, your vote, please.

Yes, Mayor.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Hogg, your vote, please.

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

The motion passes.

Thank you, Mr.

Whiteway.

5.3.

Mr.

Madrano.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

Jake Madrono, Municipal Court Administrator.

Uh item 5.3, Municipal Court School Crossing Guard Program Court Cost Adjustment.

We're asking you to consider the first reading of an ordinance amending the municipal court chapter of the Code of the City of Arlington, Texas, through the amendment of Article 6, Administration of the Court, Section 6.07, School Crock Crossing Guard Program Court Cost, Subsection B relative to the fine amount effect of October 1, 2025.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, any speakers on this item?

We have no speaker cards, Mayor.

Thank you, ma'am.

I have a motion from Councilmember Peel, a second from Councilmember Galante.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Gonzalez, your vote, please.

Yes, Mayor.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Hogg, your vote, please.

Yes.

Thank you, sir.

And the motion passes.

5.5.

Mr.

Williams.

Mayor, we have 5.4 next.

Oh, I'm sorry.

5.4, Ms.

Kaler.

I just skipped right over you.

You were all excited thinking I forgot about you, right?

Yes.

Ms.

Garcia is not going to let me get away with it, though.

I know.

Good evening.

This is the final reading of an ordinance that proposes to temporarily suspend application and enforcement of the city's anti-discrimination chapter of the code of ordinances.

The proposed temporary suspension is recommended to remain compliant with federal directives that impact Arlington's receipt of federal grant funding.

This temporary suspension does not impact the application of other federal anti-discrimination laws.

And revisions to the anti-discrimination chapter will be brought to you at the next meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Kalar.

Ms.

Garcia, is there any speakers on this item?

We have no speakers.

Thank you, ma'am.

I have a motion from Councilmember Peel, a second from Councilmember Galante.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Gonzalez, your vote, please.

Yes, Mayor.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Hogg, your vote, please.

Yay.

Thank you, sir.

And the motion passes.

Now I don't see Mr.

Williams in here, so Mr.

Elverton, will you take care of 5.5 for us?

Yes.

Mayor and Council, this is second reading of an ordinance that adopts the or modifies the administration chapters relative to the Unity Council.

It's done so to make sure that we're ensuring compliance with all Federal State Law and Policy mandates.

This is uh your final reading after uh hearing it at the last meeting we had.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, is there any speakers on this item?

We have no speakers for this item.

Thank you, ma'am.

I have a motion from Councilmember Galante, a second from Councilmember Pham.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Gonzalez, your vote, please.

Yes, Mayor.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Hogg, your vote, please.

Yay.

Thank you, sir.

The motion passes.

6.1, Mr.

Elverton.

Oh, the 6.1 is 6.2.

Tabled items.

Ah, that's right.

Okay.

Well.

There's no new update on this item, Mayor.

Okay, thank you.

Any update on 6.2?

Thank you.

We'll move on down the citizen participation.

Ms.

Garcia.

Or let me ask, do we have any speakers on 6.1 or two?

Mayor, we do have one speaker for 6.1, Larry McFarland.

Mr.

McFarland, I didn't mean to leave you out, so come on up.

Thank you, Mayor.

Wasn't sure about that.

That whole table thing.

But thank you for letting me talk about this for just one moment.

The 6.1 field or square redevelopment thing.

To me, it's really unbelievable that the city is talking about paying 33 million dollars to buy a property that they can't seem to control via city ordinances.

Because I thought we had city ordinances.

I mean, does the city not have time to do that?

Are the code enforcement people too busy to do something about field or square?

I know it's been a hot spot.

Isn't it the like top police call place over the last several years?

I I know it's really popular.

Um, but now I I can attest it was not that nice a place back in the 70s, and I'm sure most of you guys remember what the 70s were.

But buying out of business because you don't like it sounds like a really bad idea.

Now, I know the city did that to get rid of a bunch of undesirable houses, so it could replace them with a venue for private benefit, but I can't see the city building a new football stadium on a long thin strip land on field of road.

Should the city buy out all the strip clubs because they bring bad actors?

I don't know.

If the city is starting on a binge of buying out multifamily housing because they bring bad actors, well, then why in the wide world of sports is the city building so many new multifamily houses?

I don't know, they're everywhere.

Is the city too blind to see the problems these things bring?

I don't know.

Is the city blinded by all the campaign contributions provided by the developers of those new units?

A wise man once said, follow the money.

To sum it up, this plan to buy out property seems crazy.

And the city's infatuation with multifamily housing that does nothing but drive the property values down.

Well, it's just baffling.

Thank you, sir.

Ms.

Garcia, any other speakers on those two tabled items?

No, sir.

There are no other speakers.

Thank you.

Citizen participation, please.

Citizen participation gives the public an opportunity to make comments or address concerns regarding matters related to city business or affairs that are in the scope of the authority of the city council and which are not posted on the evening agenda.

However, please understand that the mayor and council are not permitted by law to respond to discuss or address the comment at this time, as these items are not included on the posted council agenda for this evening.

The mayor and council may only ask clarifying questions and or direct staff to take appropriate action.

Speakers who have pre-registered will be given two minutes to make their comments, except that if 26 or more speakers have pre-registered, each speaker will be given one minute to make the comments.

Thank you, Miss Garcia.

First speaker, please.

Larry McFarland.

Do I have a do I have a minute?

You you have two minutes.

Okay, thank you.

Um okay.

Well, let's reverse these.

The first thing, let me talk about public information requests.

I mean, oh my goodness.

I'm still waiting on my public information request, R 164 636-101-923.

It's the second one, that I originally submitted in March of 22.

Now, I know that's only three and a half years into creating this document, but come on.

It it makes me think of that Indiana Jones movie.

You remember when the little guy was pushing the cart, and he says, We've got top men working on it.

Oh my goodness.

So, okay, here's the the second one.

Now, it's a kind of a public service thing.

Uh, there's a movement afoot within the citizens of Arlington to follow the lead of elected officials.

I mean, is that terrifying or what?

When there's demand for tax payment, the movement supports simply not paying the tax, waiting for the government to just garnish our wages.

Please come and garnish our wages.

Yeah, that's the answer.

Even if the assets are available to pay the tax, the movement supports just not paying it.

Think about that for a minute.

The city depends on the citizens to follow the law.

Follow the law, pay their taxes, you know, all that stuff.

Should the citizens follow the law and elected officials be exempt?

I don't know.

I mean, this is not Detroit.

If it was Detroit, I could probably understand it.

But it's Arlington, Texas.

The dream city.

What happens if this movement gains traction and all 400 or thousand or so people don't pay their taxes?

Does the city just write checks that can't be cashed?

Think about it.

Does the city demand resignation of elected officials that refuse to pay their taxes?

Look around the room.

Think about it.

Thank you, sir.

Any other speakers, Miss Garcia?

We have no other speakers, Mayor.

Thank you.

Council, do you all have any announcements?

Seeing none, Miss Garcia, announcements, please.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'd like to remind our residents, Arlington City Council evening meetings are rebroadcast on Sundays at 6 p.m.

and on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings at 6 30 a.m.

The council's afternoon work sessions are rebroadcast on Sundays at 1 p.m., Wednesdays at 1 30 p.m.

and on Saturdays at 6 p.m.

You can also watch the meetings online anytime at www.arlington tx.gov.

Thank you all for coming out tonight, Council Meetings Adjourned.

What's also sweet is that Simmons was named finalist for HEB's Quest for Texas Best Competition.

That was the day that I cried because I was just amazed that day that I got the opportunity to support Arlington as the only contestant that was selected from this Dallas Fort Worth area.

And Simmons appreciates his community for their support of his business right here in the American Dream City.

I am in Arlington, I'm for Arlington, and I'm all about the city of Arlington.

So for good catering for good barbecue, always contact the brisket balls.

Build a dream is a program that was designed to help be able to give children the opportunity to enroll in activities that parks and recreation offer.

It's for ages four months to 16 years of age, and can range anywhere from activities such as swim lessons to youth and sports activities like sports leagues, soccer, basketball, everybody needing to be an Arlington resident.

And it is based on federal income guidelines.

So on our website, you can go and see the HUD guidelines and see if your family is eligible.

It's very simple.

It's all online on our website, naturallyfund.org, and there is a financial aid section that you can click on there.

And before each application period, which happens in January and July, we update a link to go directly to the application for the applicant.

They just click on that, fill it out.

We do ask for a couple of additional documents that need to be included, uh, proof of Arlington residency, which could be just as simple as a utility bill attached, and then uh proof of income.

They get two activities per year or per application that they uh put in, and they get to pick from any of our recreation centers that uh have activities going on.

We post those in our naturally fund magazine uh three times a year so families can look at that and see what there is to offer, and they choose two of those activities to register for with their award.

The program decays Villa Dream is unprogramma que se ofrece at the Ciudad de Arlington yellow department of parking y recreation.

It is for niños de 4 meses de day after the 16 hours.

Conjunting to submit the documentation to compare that being in Arlington and Ingress.org.

It's fascil to encontrar y encuentra todos los detalles a qualification.

Welcome to another Arlington Eats.

I'm Cynthia Lemos with my Arlington TV, and we are back to Cafe Americana because they are adding new dishes to the menu to celebrate one of the biggest soccer tournaments in our region, Copa America.

With the games coming in, we wanted to add this.

It will stay for a while, depending on how much the customers like it.

We are adding a saltenous pollo, which we already have empanadas on the menu, so we're just trying to take it on a Bolivian approach.

The next one will be the Caldo de Marisco.

That's our take on Helia and Caldo de Caldo de Congrillo, which is an eel soup, but we have octopus in it, mussels, shrimp, and some salmon on that soup.

And then the one thing that's always a mainsay on our menu is the lomo saltado.

I want to take advantage of this opportunity and try them all.

Arlington will host three games for Copa America, starting with Peru versus Chile on June 21st, USA versus Bolivia in June 23rd, and a quarter final game on July 5th.

And if you are wondering what dish represents the United States of America, here is the chef's comment.

Bienvenue to an episode of Arlington.

You're Cynthia Lemus with my Arlington TV and we are regression in Cafe Americana because we got new platillos to the menu in honor of one of the tornadoes more important in our region, Copa America.

We agregate this menu because we've been in the wheels and value to our Latino America.

It tried to the anticuchos bolivianos, the delicious caldillo of Chile and the traditional lomo saltado of Peru.

The new platillo we are trying to increment for the people and see the reaction of the public.

Bolivia, Chile, Peru and the selection of those are