The City of Boerne's proposed budget for fiscal year 2023 was unanimously approved by City Council during first reading at the Sept. 13 council meeting. The final vote on the proposed budget will take place at the Sept. 27 council meeting.
The proposed overall budget is $97 million and includes a 2.1 cent reduction in the property tax rate while focusing on:
- Improving public safety by funding additional firefighter and school resource officer positions
- Increasing funding for capital infrastructure projects
- Investing in competitive employee benefit programs to ensure the City of Boerne remains an employer of choice
- Managing inflationary pressures with no service level reduction
“I’m very appreciative of the hard work City staff have done to create this budget,” Mayor Tim Handren said. “As we’ve all experienced with our personal budgets, a dollar doesn’t stretch as far. This budget does a great job of focusing on core operations while meeting citizens’ expectations and maximizing every dollar.”
Tax Rate Reduction
The City of Boerne’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023 includes a 2.1 cent tax rate reduction. The budget lowers the tax rate from $0.4720 per $100 of valuation to $0.4510 per $100.
“This recommendation comes after many months of dedication and hard work by City staff to maximize investment in infrastructure and other key initiatives while balancing cost pressures of the current economy and job market,” City Manager Ben Thatcher said.
Public Safety Investments
The budget for FY 2023 reflects the growth in population of Boerne and the county by investing in additional public safety positions through strategic funding opportunities.
The Boerne Police Department will add two additional School Resource Officers (SROs) to fulfill the goal of providing a designated officer at each Boerne ISD campus. These positions are being added in collaboration with the Fair Oaks Ranch Police Department, Kendall County Sheriff's Office, and Boerne ISD to strengthen safety and security measures at all school facilities. The school district and the City share the costs associated with these new positions.
Three new firefighter positions are also included in the budget. The additions come as part of Master Plan objective 4.5.1 to, "Continue to identify and evaluate opportunities to better meet accepted national fire service response and staffing standards." The City has also applied for a SAFR grant that would fully or partially offset the costs of the additional firefighter positions. While not included in this budget, planning and design work for the City’s second fire station is ongoing.
Master Plan and Funding for Capital Improvements
Capital Improvement projects represent 14% of the FY 2023 budget, which is an increase of 5% over the previous year. For FY 2023, thirty-three (33) capital projects totaling $13.3 million are scheduled, including projects for water/wastewater, stormwater, streets, parks, and other infrastructure.
The increase in capital project funding reflects the City Council's strategic focus on implementing the City's Master Plan and includes projects in both the General Fund Budget and the Utility Budget.
This year’s Capital Improvement Program focuses on public infrastructure and includes:
- $4.1 Million in Street and Sidewalk Investments
- $4.2 Million in Utility Investments
- $2.9 Million in Stormwater Investments
- $2 Million for Parks Investments
Click here to see the entire list of capital improvement investments, which includes an additional $3 million for capital equipment.
Maintain Employer of Choice Status
For FY 2023, the City remains committed to investing in a strong culture to retain and attract new employees to ensure the City of Boerne continues to be an employer of choice. This includes investments in:
- Benefits enhancements
- COLA and merit pay increases
- Tuition reimbursement program
Explore the Budget
For a more in depth look at the City of Boerne’s FY 2023 budget, visit the budget website. The Fiscal Year 2023 begins Oct. 1, 2022, and ends Sept. 30, 2023.