H-E-B cities adopt 2016-17 budgets, tax rates

Hurst, Euless and Bedford recently adopted budgets and tax rates for fiscal 2017, which starts Saturday. Here’s a breakdown:

Bedford

• 2016-17 property tax rate 47.6509 cents per $100 of assessed value.
• Total budget $69,349,538.
• $32,684,357 operating budget including salaries and day-to-day operations for the city.

What’s new: Meg Jakubik, strategic services manager, said property values are up by 11.7 percent, and although the tax rate is lower, residents whose values increased will pay more in property taxes. The average home value in Bedford is $168,609.

Residents will also see increases in their water and sewer rates because of increasing costs passed on by the Trinity River Authority. The rate increase takes effect Jan. 1, and water rates will increase from $3.55 to $3.74 per 1,000 gallons. Sewer rates will increase from $2.50 to $2.68 per 1,000 gallons.

City employees will see a 4 percent pay increase, and a step increase plan will go in to effect for the Police Department.

Positions will also be added to the Parks Department to help maintain Boys Ranch Park.

Euless

• 2016-17 property tax rate 46.25 cents per $100 of assessed value.
• Total budget $111,184,536, which includes revenue from the car rental tax at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. The tax revenue is divided between Euless, Fort Worth and Dallas.
• $39,752,761 operating budget.

What’s new: Employees will see pay raises of 3.25 percent, but health insurance rates are increasing by 14 percent.

The budget also includes adding three firefighter positions and a public works employee.

There are also funds to renovate the library.

Phase 6 of renovating the Texas Star complex will also be completed with new synthetic turf for the infields and additional parking.

Hurst

• 2016-17 property tax rate 58.79 cents per $100 of assessed value.
• Total budget $70 million.
• Operating budget $34 million.

What’s new: Employees will see a 3 percent pay increase.

Now that the Hurst Justice Center is open, the city is adding a jailer position and purchasing equipment for the Police department including tactical vests.

Hurst is also doing a study on redevelopment since the city is built-out.

“The rising property values helped offset loss in revenue from the municipal court,” said City Manager Clay Caruthers.

“Property taxes are our most stable source of income. They help us offset losses in other areas.”

This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 11:31 PM with the headline "H-E-B cities adopt 2016-17 budgets, tax rates."