The Brownwood City Council has given preliminary approval to the proposed City budget for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, which runs from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Before taking a final vote on the new budget, the Council will hold two public hearings next Tuesday, August 19, at 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The hearings will be held at the Brownwood City Hall, 501 Center Ave. The entire proposed budget can be found on the City’s website: brownwoodtexas.gov. Below are some highlights from the proposed budget.

Total Budget: $47,779,989 – an increase of 4.34% over the current fiscal year budget

• Police Department: $5,270,950, an increase of 1.78%
• Fire Department: $4,420,262, an increase of 4.01%
• Street Department: $2,331,683, an increase of 4.42%
• Parks and Recreation Department: $3,117,190, an increase of 11.37%
• Sales Tax Revenue: $7,415,971 – an increase of 4.28% over the current fiscal year budget, but 2% less than projected sales tax revenues for the current fiscal year
• Property Tax Rate: 69.25 cents per $100 valuation, down 0.19% from the current rate of 69.38 cents per $100 valuation
• Water Base Rate: $32.24/month, up 79-cents from the current rate of $31.45/month
• Water Consumption: $2.87 per 100 cubic feet, up from the current rate of $2.85. Average impact = 20-cents per month
• Sewer: $38.54 per month, up $3.82 per month from the current rate of $34.72 per month
• Sanitation: $27.36 per month, up $1.30 per month from the current rate of $26.06 per month

Total of the above four items will add about $6.11 to the monthly residential utility bill, based on average usage.

• Landfill Gate Rates: No change