TYLER, Texas — Editor's Note: The above video is from August 2022.
The Tyler City Council on Wednesday approved a $228 million budget that includes improvements to public safety, employee retention efforts, changes to utility billing rates and a new tax rate.
During the city council meeting, the council members approved a new property tax rate of $.261850 per $100 valuation. The budget, which will go into effect Oct. 1, and tax rate were passed following separate public hearings.
Property values have risen by 18.73% or $40,928 for the average home in the city of Tyler, according to the city.
This budget is expected to bring in $26.7 million in property taxes as well as a $2 million increase from last year to be allocated toward expanding public safety services.
Tyler Mayor Don Warren thanked the city staff for their work in putting the budget together.
The 2023 budget theme is "Tyler Transformed" to represent a commitment to maintaining quality services as the community grows.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Regarding public safety, $34 million will be allocated to the Tyler Police Department and $23 million will go toward the Tyler Fire Department. Using $1.7 million, the city will fund two firefighters and two new fire engines.
Additions to the police department include tasers (that shock twice instead of once), fleet cameras, body cameras and license plate readers. The fire department would also see fire facility upgrades.
According to the budget presentation, police officers and firefighters will see a 5% base pay increase. Other workers will be eligible for an up to a 5% merit increase based on their individual performance.
UTILITY RATE CHANGES
Tyler water customers will see a change to their bill structure and an average increase of about $20 on their monthly bill. The money will pay for upgrades to the city’s water and sewer infrastructure.
Instead of a declining rate structure, Tyler Water Utilities will move toward a uniform volumetric rate structure over the next five years in an effort to promote water conservation.
The previous method meant that water and sewer service would become cheaper the more the customers uses their water. TWU would also no longer subsidize the first 2,000 gallons on the water usage on the bills.
Through these changes, customers will be fully charged for the total amount of water they use, according to the city.
Council members also passed a regulatory compliance fee increase of $5.08 to go toward debt on the rehabilitation of Tyler's sanitary sewer system. Solid waste fees for twice-weekly pickup will rise by $1.28.
Stormwater collection fees will increase by 1% to reflect costs of maintenance to the system, according to the budget.
OTHER ITEMS
The city has also set aside $200,000 to remove depilated, substandard structures throughout Tyler. The most significant portion of the funding will go toward the Tysen building.
Another $100,000 will also be put in place for tree removal related to recent storm damage.
The city of Tyler has invested more than $34 million in cash in water and sewer since 2016 and the city plans to spend $24.4 million on wastewater and water projects in the coming year.
In other areas, $3.7 million will be dedicated toward tourism and trails, $911,800 for the airport, $16.1 million for streets and traffic and $5.6 million toward drainage.
The W.T. Brookshire Convention Center, which takes the place of the Harvey Convention Center, is under construction. The city also plans to remodel the Rose Garden kitchenette and upgrade the Rose Garden Center for American Disabilities Act compliance.
Other plans for tourism include renovating the historic Mayfair building, which once saw acts like Elvis Presley perform.