Highland Village residents face a proposed property tax rate increase of about three cents per $100 valuation when City Council holds a public hearing Tuesday, Sept. 15.
The proposed rate of $0.528541 is up from the current $0.500984, according to a column by Mayor Charlotte Wilcoxpublished Wednesday, Sept. 9, in the Cross Timbers Gazette. The rate is the state-defined Voter-Approved rate, meaning it does not require a public election to adopt.
The Sept. 15 special meeting is the first of two readings. A second public hearing and final vote is scheduled for Sept. 22.
Budget gap drives the increase
The city's proposed FY 2026-27 base budget carries a 0% spending increase over the current year, according to a city press release from July 22. But revenues, projected to grow just 2.1%, are not keeping pace with rising operating costs.
Staff originally projected a $2.1 million General Fund gap. Council trimmed that to $1.6 million during a July 21 work session by maintaining a hiring freeze on three vacant positions, eliminating the intern program and nonprofit funding, cutting interior lighting upgrades and dropping several low-attendance recreation events.
Those cuts pushed the projected General Fund reserve from 33% to 35%. That is below the current year's 44% reserve but above the city's policy floor of 20% to 25%.
"We are at a point where we need to look at things differently," City Manager Paul Stevens said at the July 14 council meeting, as reported in the city's budget recap. "The City has always had a very lean budget, and even more so this year."
Wilcox, in a July 22 city statement, called the budget a "new financial reality" for a "mature, nearly built-out community" and said years of conservative budgeting had prepared the city for the transition.
Micro-mobility rules now enforced
The city is also enforcing its micro-mobility ordinance after School Resource Officers trained students at all Highland Village schools on the rules. The stakes are real.
Riders under 18 must wear a helmet, ride one person per device, walk the device through crosswalks, stay off phones and headphones while riding and yield to pedestrians. Electric bikes, defined as having fully operational pedals, a motor under 750 watts and a top speed of 28 mph, are allowed on trails and bike lanes. Electric motorcycles, which lack pedals and travel at higher speeds, require a driver's license, registration and insurance and are banned from bike lanes and trails.
Village Fest debuts Oct. 17
Highland Village's first Village Fest is set for Oct. 17 at Doubletree Ranch Park starting at 6 p.m. The free event will feature food and drink vendors, a mini-midway, hay maze, petting zoo, face painters, pumpkin decorating and live music by Le Freak.
The TXFallenPD 5K and Bike Race takes place the same day at the same park. Since 2008, the race has contributed nearly $664,000 to the Texas Police Chiefs Association's Fallen Officer Fund.
