This is a special meeting on the FY27 proposed city budget.

I call Christian Simmons to give a presentation on their proposed budget.

Good afternoon, Mayor Pro Tim and Council.

All right, so I'll give a quick briefing on the fiscal year 27 budget.

Just as a reminder, this is a very abbreviated version of what we're presenting, still currently presenting out in the council district.

So we've done eight of ten um public engagement meetings, have two left this week.

This public hearing provides just another touch point for residents to make public comments on the fiscal year 27 budget as proposed.

The themes of this year's budget have really been centered around um the Terran appraisal district's reappraisal plan and the effect that that's having on our revenues.

Um and we've had to balance the budget with reductions across the general fund um as well as some revenue and fee increases.

We've maintained the debt service rate and the paygo tax rate for cash investment and infrastructure.

The total operating budget for fiscal year 27 is recommended at 3.3 billion dollars across all of the operating funds.

The general fund seeing about 4.6% growth followed by enterprise funds and special revenue funds as the other two big operating categories.

Since the time we recommended the budget on August 11th, council has asked um via most it seems like a majority to restore some items to the budget that were originally recommended to be frozen or eliminated.

Uh, you see some of the detail here.

Uh and so a couple of weeks ago we delivered to you as council the impact to the tax rate of restoring those services and positions.

Uh so the tax rate for that would be 70.565 cents.

Both the 70.2 and 70.565 tax rates still result in a savings on the average taxpayer or resident's um home value or their tax bill for the following year.

Um that's because home values are falling.

At the same time, we do the operating budget.

We also update the five-year capital plan.

And so you see here that the fiscal year 27 capital plan is 1.03 billion dollars, the large majority of that being water, um, with a total capital plan over the five years of about 3.8 billion dollars.

So that brings us to a total recommended budget for fiscal year 27 of 4.35 billion dollars, slightly down from the current year's budget on the capital side.

I mentioned that we're in the middle of community engagement now, so we've done eight of ten meetings.

We have districts three and ten remaining this week.

This is the uh statutorily required budget public hearing, but I think we do a nice job in Fort Worth of getting out to our districts and having a lot of interaction with residents.

Um, all those meetings are live streamed and um can be viewed like backwards as well.

So residents have a lot of opportunity to learn more details of the budget.

Again, this is just a briefing of what we've been presenting.

Uh city council is scheduled now to adopt the budget on September 15th alongside the tax rate.

And with that, I'll take any questions.

Seeing none, I think we have one speaker that's uh signed up to speak, Adrian Smith.

Adrian Smith, district nine.

I am one with the people.

Uh first I'm gonna say thank you to the staff of what you all put in to ensure that our city is moving forward.

Uh Elva a 97 million dollar operating deficit for the 2027 fiscal year that will have a have a direct impact on the livelihoods of the residents who make our city home.

Now, no one has taken accountability, but you did ensure to implement the typical town homestown meetings to convince the public that somehow you have their best interest at heart.

Let's be clear.

Regardless of the current property tax valuation being at a lower revenue rate, it again isn't the only causation for our current plight.

Until we are ready to have an honest discussion regarding directless spending, which thoughts here.

Which is a majority of our plight, our city will continue to suffer.

Now we've already made previous cuts to things.

And uh we cut and then we like you all want to add two.

I don't just trying to figure this out.

So we don't want meetings.

We don't want what we don't want meetings with empty promises.

You all so you did you've done eight, we got two more to conduct, but those meetings are never full when you think about it.

And uh me myself, I don't attend them.

It's unnecessary.

I come here enough.

But for better government efficiency.

Again, I'll go back to some of my previous points.

Need a new city manager, new ideas, new perspectives, and someone who's neutral to what's being the Fort Worth way.

We knew them, we need a new mayor because everything begins and ends with the mayor.

Regardless good or bad.

As far as the council representatives, we need those who are put in the people first.

And you know in your heart if you are putting your constituents first.

I can't speak to that.

You know, we need to return standalone vote into uh agenda items.

We need to restore remote speaking, place the public comment to the top of the agenda.

Um my question is uh I have a question.