Grapevine police and fire personnel would receive the city's largest pay bumps under a $262.4 million budget proposal that also cuts the property tax rate 4.4% and funnels $3.1 million to the Crime Control and Prevention District.
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Strawn presented the spending plan during an Aug. 5 budget workshop at City Hall, Community Impact reported Aug. 10. The proposal marks a 6.84% spending increase over the current $245.6 million budget adopted for FY 2025-26.
What it means for public safety
The proposed budget directs a $3.1 million transfer from the general fund to the Crime Control and Prevention District, which covers operating costs for the Grapevine Police Department and its jail.
The district encompasses six divisions: Uniform Operations, Criminal Investigations, Technical Services, Jail Operations, Management Services and Dispatch, according to the city's budget transparency portal.
For context, the CCPD's total fund in the FY 2024-25 adopted budget was $24.2 million. The general fund fills the gap when the district's half-cent sales tax revenue falls short of expenses.
Public safety employees stand to gain the most from the proposed compensation package. All full- and part-time city workers would receive a 3% market increase and a 2% merit-based raise, but police and fire positions would get an additional 3%-5% step increase.
"Inflation and proposed raises, which include a 3% market increase for full- and part-time employees, a 2% merit-based increase for full- and part-time employees, and a 3%-5% step increase for public safety positions, are the main contributors to the expenditures increase," Strawn said at the Aug. 5 workshop.
Tax rate and homeowner impact
The proposed property tax rate of $0.226817 per $100 valuation is the no-new-revenue rate, down from the current $0.237228. A homeowner at the proposed average taxable value of $393,431 would pay $892.37 in city property taxes, down from $944.87 on the current average taxable value of $398,298. That's a $52.50 difference.
Grapevine has paired tax rate cuts with public safety step increases for at least two consecutive budget cycles. The FY 2024-25 budget also included 3%-5% step increases for uniformed employees alongside a 4% rate reduction.
What's next
Total revenues are projected at $265.69 million, leaving the general fund with a razor-thin surplus of $5,522. The budget also cash-funds $4.3 million for fleet replacements and $5.2 million for street and parks repairs.
City Council plans to hold a public hearing on the proposed budget Tuesday, Sept. 1, and adopt it at the same meeting. The tax rate is scheduled for a separate adoption vote Tuesday, Sept. 15. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
