City of Murphy Regular City Council Meeting - August 4, 2026
City of Murphy Regular City Council Meeting - August 4, 2026
The City of Murphy held a regular city council meeting on August 4, 2026, at 6 p.m. The meeting included public comments, approval of a special use permit for a bank, an executive session, and a work session to discuss the proposed property tax rate for fiscal year 2027. City Manager also provided updates on upcoming events, including Food Truck Friday, a 9/11 remembrance ceremony, and the Labor Day closure.
Consent Calendar
- The council unanimously approved the consent agenda as presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- James Brummet (423 Rocky Glenn Circle) expressed disappointment over the council's approval of a variance for a neighbor's building, alleging code violations and a lack of site inspection. He raised concerns about property runoff and criticized the council's decision-making process.
- Yvonne Rashid (139 Caroline, Daniel Crossing) raised concerns about mosquitoes in her neighborhood, citing a neighbor's tires as a potential breeding ground. She requested mosquito treatment from the city.
Special Use Permit for Bank (Item 8A)
- The council held a public hearing and considered an ordinance to approve a special use permit (SUP) for a Fifth Third Bank at 205 West FM 544, the former Wendy's restaurant site. The property is zoned planned development retail, requiring a SUP for banks.
- Zoning Manager Stephanie Scott Sims presented the item, noting the Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation for approval. The applicant proposes to convert the existing building into a bank, reconfigure parking, and extend a fire lane to connect to the adjacent Quick Car property. The SUP request is for the use only; a future site plan will be brought for approval.
- Council discussion included concerns about the fire lane's impact on Quick Car, the loss of sales tax revenue from the restaurant, and access difficulties. Councilmember Elizabeth Abraham expressed opposition due to the loss of sales tax. The motion to approve the ordinance passed with a vote of 6-1, with Councilmember Abraham voting nay.
Executive Session
- The council recessed into executive session at 6:19 p.m. under Texas Government Code sections 551.071 (consultation with attorney on pending litigation) and 54 (land use and code enforcement litigation). The council reconvened at 7:10 p.m. with no action taken.
Work Session: Property Tax Rate and Budget Discussion
- The council conducted a work session to discuss the proposed property tax rate for Fiscal Year 2027. City Manager presented the recommended voter approval tax rate of $0.361832 per $100 valuation, which would generate a 3.5% increase in property tax revenue (approximately $518,000 more in general fund and $210,000 more in debt service). The total proposed tax rate is 36.1832 cents per $100 valuation, up from 35.7514 cents.
- The presentation included a five-year forecast showing declining fund balances if revenues do not keep pace with expenditures. The voter approval rate would maintain sustainability, while the no-new-revenue rate (0.348240) would reduce revenue by $373,190 and could lead to financial instability.
- Extensive council discussion followed. Mayor Bradley explained that the rate increase is purely inflationary, not a real tax increase, and emphasized the value of city services ($2,143 annually for the median home, or $14 per month). Councilmembers debated the trade-offs, with some supporting the recommended rate to maintain services and others questioning the need for expense reductions. Councilmember Elizabeth Abraham supported the sustainability argument. The council also discussed long-term strategic planning, including potential changes to the over-65 homestead exemption.
- At the conclusion, the council gave verbal direction to move forward with the proposed voter approval tax rate of $0.361832 for formal adoption at the September meeting.
Key Outcomes
- The consent agenda was approved unanimously.
- An ordinance approving a special use permit for a Fifth Third Bank at 205 West FM 544 was approved (6-1, Councilmember Abraham voting nay).
- No action was taken following the executive session.
- The council gave direction to proceed with the proposed voter approval tax rate of $0.361832 for FY 2027, to be formally adopted in September.
Meeting Transcript
All right, welcome as I call to order the August 4th, 2026, City of Murphy, regular city council meeting. The time is 6 p.m. Drive's with me as I offer the invitation, leave the pledge of allegiance. Give us the wisdom to act with compassion and vision for what is best for the community. Bless and watch over our public safety officers and the community they serve. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Mayor Scott Bradley. Here. Mayor Pro Tim Scott Smith. Here. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Ken Oldman. Here. Councilmember Place 1, Elizabeth Abraham? Here. Councilmember place three, Debbie Ison. Here. Councilmember place five, Kevin Kelly. Here. Councilmember place six, Janae Butler. Mayor certified the presence of a quantum. Thank you. All right, we're gonna move on to item four, public comments is the time we set aside on the agenda to allow residents to address council on an item not on the agenda this evening. I do have one public comment for him, Mr. James Brunt Brummet. Brummet, you want to come up. Yes, sir. I'm James Brummet. I'm at 423 Rocky Glenn Circle. This is concerning my neighbor on 424 Rocky Glenn that uh y'all approved the the uh the building that he's building right now, and uh it was uh uh uh code and y'all let that happen. Uh and uh his wife just got through dog cussing me because she moved the uh the pen. I don't know if that legally you can do that, but she moved the pen and said, heck no, you're gonna if if you want the survey, you're gonna have to do it yourself. You're gonna have to pay for it. Well, it's all been about the the survey. If it was surveyed right, you would find that that you wouldn't give the the uh I can't think of the word right now, the uh the variance, the variance. Y'all wouldn't have given that, but nobody went out to check it. Mr. Smith, you didn't go out and check it. The mayor, I've I've called you, and nobody went out to do a dang thing about it. But now it's too late. And they they say they're you know that they were saying in the meeting that the building was gonna cost X and X dollars and all. It's just a regular pre-fab building. That's all it is. And I'm just showing my disappointment. You know, uh, we let this stuff happen. Uh we break a law to to appease another guy, and that's bull. That is flat bull. You know, it's an ordinance.
openpublica.com