By George Slaughter
The Katy City Council Monday adopted a $34.5 million city budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year, and kept its property tax rate the same in doing so.
The budget reflects a $576,353, or 1.7%, increase from last year. The largest portion of the budget, public safety, comprises the budget for the police, fire, and animal control departments. Overall, those three departments will have an increased budget of $1.5 million, or 8.4%, from last year. The public safety agencies account for 57% of the budget.
The property tax rate of $0.447168 remains the same as last year. It represents the second time in the last five years in which the city kept the rate the same and did not reduce the rate. The city did not reduce the rate in 2018, following Hurricane Harvey the previous year.
Mayor Bill Hastings said the property tax base has grown, which enables the city to keep the rates low.
Ward A Council Member Dan Smith spoke enthusiastically about the budget and tax rate. Hastings asked City Administrator Byron Hebert whether the city has always balanced its budgets.
“We’ve always had balanced budgets,” Hebert said.
In other action Monday, the council:
- Approved the August 9 and August 23 council meeting minutes.
- Approved the 2022 city holiday schedule.
- Approved a $15,000 dues payment for the Katy Area Economic Development Council.
- Approved final plats for Cane Island, in Waller County; Katy Keystone, in Fort Bend County; Katy Mills Unrestricted Reserve, in Fort Bend and Harris counties; Peterson Road development, in Waller County, and a partial replat for the Robertson subdivision in Harris County.
- Awarded a bid to Colorado County Oil, of Columbus, for gasoline and diesel fuel delivery, replacing a previous bid.
- Authorized a change order with Cooley Construction, Inc., that grants up to a 60-day time extension for the Riceland Terrace subdivision downstream channel improvements construction contract.
- Authorized $26,422 change order with Tidal Construction for sanitary sewer line adjustments, easement tree clearing and tree removal for the Water Plant No. 7 building, generator, and appurtenances construction contract.
- Approved a $14,350 change order with Huitt-Zollars, Inc., for creating a separate bid package for city funded improvements along Rexora Lane.
- Authorized signatories for contractual documents and documents for requesting funds pertaining to the Community Development Block Grant program.
- Issued up to $10 million in unlimited Series 2021 tax bonds by Harris-Waller Counties Municipal Water District No. 3.
- Approved the installation of a U.S. Postal Service mailbox in the Katy Heritage Park, 5900 George Bush Dr., for use by the Katy Heritage Society.
- Approved water meter easements with IDV Alto Katy Owner, LP for the development at 7737 Cherokee Rd. in Waller County.
- Moved uncollectible water, sewer and garbage account from October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019, to a bad debt historical account.
- Passed an ordinance amending the employee classification and compensation by adding the job description of environmental technician and system administrator and updating the job descriptions of GIS specialist and facilities coordinator; deleted the job descriptions of human resource assistant and tourism, marketing and public relations director and by amending the salary grades and ranges.
- Held an executive session to discuss the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property in the near the Katy City Library and Pitts Road. No action was taken as a result of this session.