The Taylor City Council has entered the final stretch in the 2022-23 budget process, and costs are tapped to rise for residents and businesses in some key areas, such as a 10 percent rate increase for water and sewer rates.
At the Sept. 8 meeting of Taylor City Council, city leaders will hold a public hearing and are expected to approve the approximately $48 million budget for fiscal year 2023, as well as fix and approve the tax rate at 65 cents per $100 valuation, which is 11 cents lower than last year’s rate.
According to city documents, this budget, the first since Samsung Austin Semiconductor announced a new $17 billion semiconductor manufacturing facility in Taylor, reflects a $12 million increase in expenditures from last year.
“The FY 2023 Budget that I now present to Council recognizes that future growth needs to be planned for, but also recognizes that the City of Taylor has current demands on its resources that must be addressed,” City Manager Scott LaBorde wrote in his September budget message to the council.
“Through conservative budgeting approaches and reallocating the limited resources to best address the most critical of these current demands, I feel the budget presented enhances the council’s strategic pillars (streets, infrastructure, quality of life and economic vitality), addresses the need to retain the city’s staff, and finances many needed equipment and facility improvements,” LaBorde added. “This budget represents the first steps in moving the City of Taylor forward on the path of economic and social prosperity.”
At this meeting, city leaders are also scheduled to introduce an ordinance to establish, amend and increase some fees for some city services, including for the airport, cemetery, animal control, parks and recreation, police, solid waste collection, utilities and more.
In other business, the council is scheduled to:
• introduce an ordinance establishing a franchise agreement within the city right-ofway for SiEnergy;
• consider the budget for the Taylor Economic Development Corporation for fiscal year 2023;
• discuss a possible modification to the ordinance regulating food sanitation; and
• consider adopting a Drainage Master Plan.
The council meeting is at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 400 Porter St., in the council chamber. Those wishing to address the council have a threeminute limit and must sign up by 5:45 p.m.
An extended council agenda and live video stream of the meeting can be found at http:// www.taylortx.gov.
