Another city budget season has come and gone, and with this month’s Council update, I would like to share with you what I found to be some of the more interesting items of this year’s Garland Annual Operating Budget. For those of you who like the details, you can see the entire budget document here: https://www.garlandtx.gov/3528/Annual-Budget-Documents

First, the big numbers — the budget came in right around $767 million total, a $31 million or 4% increase from last year. The budget included a 6.5 cent per $1000 of valuation property tax increase, which was approved by the voters in the May bond election. 

Due to the increased revenue from rising property values, we were able to grant your hard-working civil service employees a 3.5% raise and a 3% raise for general schedule employees. Garland has an average of 6.12 employees per 1,000 capita, while the Metroplex average is 7.25 employees per 1,000 capita. I am very proud that we are able to do more for our citizens with less overhead.

Several items were included in the budget that should help continue to improve our city’s image. $80,000 was provided for homeless camp remediation and removal, and $300,000 was dedicated to funding litter pickup crews throughout the city. The city’s trash trucks and Environmental Waste Services equipment will also look better, as $19,200 was dedicated to heavy equipment washing. 

Our Police Department requested nine moveable digital radar signs which can be deployed in strategic areas to slow speeding traffic. In what is a sign of the times we live in, the Fire Department requested $65,875 of bullet-proof vests to protect themselves when entering dangerous situations where their EMS and fire-fighting services are needed. We granted both requests.

The North Garland Library will be replacing their 12-year-old carpet, which I am personally happy about since my two daughters spend a lot of time sprawled out on the floor there reading books. 

Finally, we agreed to fund the current location of the Day Labor Center for six more months as a new location is found. The current location has been controversial with surrounding businesses, and a new location should help alleviate those issues.

In addition to our city budget, our bond program is moving along as several contracts are being awarded this month, including design contracts for the animal shelter, police evidence storage facility and downtown square/streetscapes redesign. The design of the city skate park is scheduled to be complete in January 2020, and construction of Garland’s first dog park in Central Park is scheduled to be complete in January as well. 

Be sure and come out to the second annual Garland Guzzler 0.5K race around the Downtown Garland Square. You read that right — a 0.5K race. It’s just slightly longer from your couch to the fridge and back. Visit https://www.garlandtx.gov/2005/Garland-Guzzler-05K-Race to sign up.

As always, please reach out to me with any questions, concerns, or compliments. My contact number has changed to 469-560-6099. As a public official, I must comply with Texas Senate Bill 944 which went into effect September 1. You can also reach me by email at council7@garlandtx.gov. I look forward to hearing from you.