Seagoville residents will have an opportunity on August 24 to address the City Council about the proposed municipal budget and property tax rate for the 2026–27 fiscal year.
The preliminary proposal places General Fund spending at $23.53 million, an increase of approximately $876,000, or 3.9 percent, from the current adopted budget. The proposal remains a draft and may be revised before the council takes final action.
The Budget at a Glance
The proposed General Fund budget totals $23,527,600.
The current General Fund budget is $22,651,660.
The difference is $875,940.
The General Fund pays for many of Seagoville’s most visible services, including police, fire protection, streets, sanitation, parks, the library and city administration.
The Water and Sewer Fund is separate. Water and sewer operations are supported primarily through customers’ utility bills rather than property taxes.
Public Safety Remains the Largest Expense
Police spending would increase from $4.66 million to $5.32 million, a rise of approximately $665,000, or 14.3 percent.
The Fire Department budget would increase from $4.5 million to $4.85 million. That represents an increase of approximately $347,000, or 7.7 percent.
Support Services would receive one of the proposal’s largest dollar increases. Its budget would rise from $1.54 million to $2.18 million, an increase of approximately $648,000, or 42.2 percent.
The preliminary summary does not explain every expense behind those departmental changes. The complete proposed budget is scheduled to be filed and published August 10.
Several Local Services Would Receive More Funding
The Animal Services budget would increase from $451,734 to $637,903, a rise of 41.2 percent.
Code Enforcement would increase from $401,185 to $513,988, or 28.1 percent.
The Library budget would rise from $240,690 to $303,840, an increase of 26.2 percent.
Sanitation spending would increase from $1.3 million to $1.42 million, while Senior Services would rise from $246,267 to $267,695.
Municipal Court spending would increase by 11.1 percent, and the City Secretary’s budget would rise by 37 percent.
Large Administrative Changes Need More Explanation
The City Manager’s Office budget would increase from $317,232 to $866,495, a rise of 173.1 percent.
At the same time, the Human Resources budget would fall from $433,770 to $181,735, a decrease of 58.1 percent.
Economic Development would decline from $93,878 to $48,661, a reduction of 48.2 percent.
Those figures may reflect staff transfers, departmental reorganizations or changes in how expenses are classified. The preliminary summary does not provide enough information to determine the reasons.
That makes the complete August budget document important. Residents should examine whether the changes represent new spending or expenses being moved between departments.
Capital Spending Would Decline
The Transfers and Capital category would fall from $3.62 million to $1.89 million, a reduction of nearly $1.73 million, or 47.7 percent.
That decrease helps offset substantial increases in police, support services, fire protection and other departments.
Parks and Recreation would decrease by 2 percent, from $630,583 to $617,683.
Building Inspections would decrease by 2.1 percent, while the Finance Department would remain nearly unchanged.
Overall General Fund spending would still rise by 3.9 percent despite the major reduction in transfers and capital expenditures.
What the Proposal Could Mean for Property Taxes
A taxpayer impact statement included in the city’s July budget materials lists the current tax rate as $0.720743 and the proposed rate as $0.734143.
For a median-valued Seagoville homestead of $237,615, the estimated city property tax bill would increase from $1,713 to $1,744.
That is an estimated increase of $31 annually.
The statement also presents a preliminary no-new-revenue rate of $0.655146. A balanced budget funded at that rate would produce an estimated city tax bill of $1,557 for the same median-valued homestead.
These estimates concern only the City of Seagoville’s property tax. They do not represent the complete property tax bill, which may also include school district, county and other taxing entities.
The city emphasizes that the no-new-revenue calculation and estimated bills are preliminary. Both the proposed budget and tax rate may change before adoption.
Residents Will Have a Chance to Speak
The city’s budget calendar calls for the complete proposed budget to be filed with the City Secretary and published online on August 10.
The public hearing is scheduled for August 24. Residents will be invited to comment on both the budget and the tax rate.
Separate council votes on the budget and tax rate are scheduled for September 14.
The city’s new fiscal year begins October 1.
The preliminary summary does not provide the exact time or location of the August 24 hearing. Residents should confirm those details through the formal meeting agenda before attending.
Seagoville publishes official agendas and meeting notices through its Public Meeting Center. The city’s website is also displaying a dedicated section for the 2026–27 proposed budget and its July preliminary summary.
Why the Hearing Matters
The August 24 hearing will allow residents to question spending priorities before the proposal becomes final.
The most important questions include what is driving the increases in police and support services, why administrative budgets are shifting, what capital projects remain funded and whether the proposed tax rate is necessary to support the final spending plan.
