Fair Oaks Ranch Gave 2025 Budget, Tax Rate First-Reading Approval

The budget assigned $659,480 to the Strategic Projects Fund, including $200,000 for Fire Station No. 3 upgrades, $100,000 for a facilities master plan, $35,000 for strategic planning and $324,480 for two Rolling Acres Trail drainage projects. A separate $423,555 bond-capital schedule covered $315,000 of Rolling Acres Trail design work and $108,555 of Ammann Road engineering.

Council conducted the scheduled hearing on the proposed city tax rate before considering the tax ordinance. Council also approved on first reading a tax-rate ordinance setting 28.53 cents per $100 of taxable value: 25.674 cents for maintenance and operations and 2.856 cents for debt service.

A pay structure moved toward implementation

Council reviewed general-government and public-safety pay schedules containing 30 steps separated by 1.5%. The packet said the prior structure used roughly 18 steps separated by 2.5%; the proposed placement method was designed to put every employee at least one step above the recommended market minimum.

The workshop materials identified maintenance, utilities and public-safety positions as the groups expected to benefit most from the adjustments. They said the proposed costs were already included within the fiscal 2025-26 budget, so the plan did not require another budget amendment at that stage.

What followed

The packet scheduled second and final readings for Sept. 18, 2025, and said the final pay schedules would return by resolution at the next regular council meeting.

Readers comparing budget cycles can review Comal.News coverage of the fiscal 2026-27 tax-rate ceiling, the later proposed tax rate and the Aug. 6 meeting breakdown.

The Sept. 18 final ordinances, vote record and compensation resolution are the next records to compare with these first readings. Readers can inspect the Sept. 15 minutes for the recorded actions and the meeting packet for the budget tables, project schedules, tax-rate breakdown and proposed pay ranges.