Ashley Kontnier
DRIPPING SPRINGS— Following 12 budget workshops and three public hearings, Dripping Springs City Council approved the city’s fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget and tax rate at a special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 22.
The approved budget anticipates $16.8 million in general fund revenues, with $16.2 million in approved general fund expenditures. Total city expenditures amount to $28,599,226.26.
Going into the discussion, the budget presentation anticipated a general fund balance forward into FY 2028 of approximately $788,557.
Prior to approval, a list of supplemental requests from various departments was considered, broken down by priority, beginning with green as the highest priority, followed by orange and red.
Top priority requests included an Archer 8-Barrier Trailer at $184,000, hiring of a maintenance coordinator at approximately $85,000, maintenance facility bay buildout at $150,000 and proposed salary and benefits for a program specialist for the Stephenson building.
While the budget already included the Stephenson program specialist for six months of the fiscal year — beginning in April 2027 — the supplemental request was to move the hiring of that position up to October.
Regarding the maintenance facility bay buildout, Mayor Bill Foulds asked maintenance director Riley Sublett to explain the department’s current working conditions.
Sublett explained that, originally, the workers operated out of the Parks facility. Following the implementation of the parks maintenance program, they moved to the Wastewater facility, but with the expansion of the wastewater project, they again moved and are now working under a shade tree in the maintenance facility yard.
“Obviously, that has its complications, especially when it comes to safety and working in weather events — cold weather, hot weather, rain, anything like that,” Sublett explained.
While the previous bond allocated money for a metal building, utilities and concrete slab, it did not include any interior finishing, such as air conditioning, interior walls or a break room for employees.
Council member Geoffrey Tahuahua questioned whether this item should be held, with the understanding that it would come back to council for a budget amendment once formal bids were received with more solidified cost estimates, which Foulds agreed with.
“I think I understand the potential rationale for waiting to include it. At the same time, if it's something that we know needs to be done, we just don't know the precise amount and the funds are available to go ahead and earmark them and then, we don't reconsider that money until we get to a point where you're bringing the actual item forward with specific amounts. To me, that's more clear as to what our intention is with those dollars, than just leaving it on a supplemental list to be considered later,” said council member Taline Mannasian. “So, I think my preference would be — if we know the money is available and we can make it work in the budget — to go ahead and put it in there, understanding that you're not going to spend it without coming back with specific items that we need to consider. I prefer to sort of set things aside if we know they need to be spent in the next year.”
Ultimately, council came to the consensus to include the item in the budget using interest accrued on bond funds that have not been spent. Additionally, the maintenance coordinator position was funded through the general fund, while the barrier trailer and Stephenson program specialist were not.
Under the orange — or medium — priority requests, council opted to use the general fund to fund the following:
• Crowd control interlocking barriers: $15,000
• Two additional portable message signs: $18,000
• Partial funding for an additional maintenance vehicle: $40,000
• Gas and maintenance for the new vehicle: $8,000
• Legal artificial intelligence support: $10,000
• Television and stand for the Stephenson building: $1,000
Additionally, they approved using hotel-occupancy tax (HOT) funds on an audio/visual system/tower maintenance contract for Dripping Springs Ranch Park (DSRP) at $35,000.
Rather than funding wayfinding signage and a storage building at DSRP, it was decided to defer to the Parks board regarding what it saw as top priorities for the parkland dedication and parkland development fund expenditures.
The lowest priority items, highlighted in red, included a recreation center feasibility study, an aquatic feasibility study, picnic tables for the baseball and softball field, scoreboards for the adult softball fields, all of which were left unfunded.
Council approved construction inspection training for a current employee at $5,000.
Following all of the additions, the general fund was left with an anticipated balance forward going into FY 28 of $605,556, while the HOT fund will have $167,842.
Council unanimously approved the budget with the presented changes.
After approval of the budget, the tax rate of $0.219217 per $100 valuation, which includes $0.046117 in debt service and $0.173100 in maintenance and operations, was approved 5-0. This rate is lower than the previous year’s rate of $0.2267 per $100 valuation.
The city’s FY will begin Oct. 1.
To listen to the full discussion, visit bit.ly/4AFErKQ.
To view the full approved budget, visit www.drippingspringstx.gov/760/Budget-Tax-Rate.
