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Addison residents will have two opportunities in September to weigh in on a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget that would lower the property tax rate by 1 cent while investing $57.7 million in capital projects.
Addison City Manager David Gaines submitted the proposed budget to the City Council on July 31. The budget covers the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 and ending Sept. 30, 2027.
The proposal reduces the property tax rate by 1 cent while continuing investments in public safety, employees and own services. Despite the lower rate, Addison expects to collect about $854,000 more in total property taxes than under the current budget, a 2.1% increase. About $888,000 of the revenue would come from new property added to the tax roll.
The proposed budget includes $57.7 million in capital projects, with funding for streets, pedestrian improvements, utilities, facilities and other infrastructure. Among the projects is the new police and courts facility approved by Addison voters in May as part of a $55 million bond election. Construction is expected to begin in 2027.
Public-safety spending also includes an additional patrol officer and vehicle, additional ammunition and a new police drone for search-and-rescue operations and crowd monitoring during large events. The fire department would begin a Knox HomeBox program designed to allow first responders to enter the homes of eligible residents during emergencies without damaging the property.
Pedestrian improvements also are planned near Belt Line Road and the Dallas North Tollway and at Midway Road and Beltway Drive.
Addison employees have spent the past three years looking for ways to reduce costs, generate additional revenue and operate more efficiently without reducing services. An internal resource maximization committee solicits ideas from employees throughout the organization and evaluates them as part of the annual budget process.
Those efforts identified more than $500,000 in recurring savings, cost recovery and additional revenue for FY2027, bringing the three-year total to approximately $1.4 million in recurring operating savings.
Some of the largest savings came from work that employees determined could be handled differently or brought in-house. Addison expects to save $82,000 by changing its overtime policy for special events, $62,000 by bringing fire hydrant testing in-house and another $42,000 by bringing hydrant painting in-house. Moving IT disaster recovery operations to the City of Allen is expected to save $54,700, while switching phone services to Voice-over IP is projected to save $52,235.
Other changes include conducting some fire department training and equipment testing in-house, renegotiating contracts, eliminating redundant equipment and changing vendors. The town also expects additional revenue or cost recovery through airport customs fee collections, rentals at the Addison Performing Arts Centre and other changes.
The City Council held a budget workshop Aug. 8 and will continue reviewing the proposal before adoption. Residents can comment during public hearings on the proposed budget and tax rate at a special City Council meeting Sept. 1 and again during the regular meeting Sept. 8. The council is scheduled to consider adopting the fiscal year 2027 budget and tax rate Sept. 8.
The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
The complete proposed budget and information about the budget process are available through the Town of Addison budget page.
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