By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
The Copperas Cove city council voted unanimously on Tuesday evening to adopt a new tax rate as well as approve the city budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
The new tax rate is $0.686419 per $100 valuation, which is higher than the current tax rate of $0.661043.
Property tax will increase by $93 for the year, based on the average home value in Copperas Cove of $208,210.
The rate adopted will offset the little more than $800,000 general fund deficit in the proposed budget as it was presented, and it also includes using $1 million of the city’s debt service fund balance on the city’s annual debt for next year.
The city’s budget for fiscal year 2025-2026 was also adopted unanimously by the council on Tuesday. The proposed total operating budget is $62,021,488 in expenditures.
The General Fund includes funding market adjustments in pay for all city staff, except for Fire and Public Safety, which had a market adjustment in a previous budget year.
The budget includes several items that are new, such as in the city’s IT Department, which is setting up a subscription for Microsoft Office 365 for all city departments. Although the city uses those Microsoft products, it is not on a subscription basis, and will run $138,000.
Another item is funding a consultant to raise funds for the development of Rhode Park into a “Family Adaptive Park & Sports Complex.” This cost is estimated to be approximately $100,000. The concept of the adaptive park and complex was presented at the council’s retreat but has since stalled. The budget also includes $150,000 in grant matching funds for restoration of Allin House. The Copperas Cove Historical Society is in the process of seeking grants and raising funds to renovate the home of the city’s first mayor.
Tuesday’s meeting also included adopting the city’s fee schedule, with changes, such as an increase to residential solid waste collection fees at $27.78 per month, up from $25.25 for collection, and commercial customers an increase to $57.87 per month, up from $52.61.
For the water and sewer fees, that includes rate increases for residential and commercial customers. Water volumetric rate increase per 1,000 gallons is $6.06, up from $5.21. A sewer volumetric rate increase per 1,000 gallons is $5.30, up from $5.15.
The proposed increase for residential water usage is an increase of 85 cents per 1,000 gallons used per month; sprinkler charge increase of 74 cents per 1,000 gallons; an increase of $1.04 per 1,000 gallons for commercial accounts; bulk water increase of $1. 52 per 1,000 gallons; and an increase to the contractor rate of $1.27 per 1,000 gallons.
The proposed increase for the sewer volumetric rate is 15 cents per 1,000 gallons for all customers.
Also on Tuesday, the city council voted to approve the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation’s budget for fiscal year 2025-2026. The EDC’s annual revenue comes from sales tax as approved by Copperas Cove voters, and it receives 1/8-cent of the city’s sales tax dollars. For 2025-2026, the EDC projects to receive approximately $1.16 million as its share of sales tax.
The EDC is beginning the fiscal year with $6.4 million in reserves, with an ideal fund balance of $254,152.
It expects to spend $1,164,024 and bring in a total of $1,386,990 in revenue.
Among the new items on the budget are $25,000 for façade improvement grants for Copperas Cove businesses, as well as funds for the construction of a building at Patriot Circle for roughly $1 million.
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