Katy’s City Council has adopted the FY 2025-26 budget, voting 5–0 to allocate nearly $126 million — a plan that prioritizes public safety through increased personnel, upgraded equipment, and stronger emergency services infrastructure.
The total budget, combining general fund and utility fund spending, comes to just under $250 million.
Key Public Safety Investments
The city is making several significant enhancements:
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New Firefighters & Apparatus: Katy will add 6 full-time firefighter positions and purchase a new ladder truck for Station 4.
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Police Resources: Funding covers two additional police patrol officers, new in-car cameras, and non-lethal tools for de-escalation.
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Emergency Operations & 9-1-1 Dispatch: Upgrades include emergency radio system expansion, hardware improvements, and redundancy for dispatch capabilities.
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Training & Technology: Expanded training budgets and technology upgrades aim to improve response times and incident management.
Revenue, Rates & Taxes
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Property Tax Rate: The city’s adopted rate is $0.3895 per $100 valuation, comprising $0.2393 for maintenance & operations and $0.1502 for debt service.
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Water & Utilities: The utility fund includes capital projects for water, sewer, drainage, and infrastructure replacement.
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Revenue Outlook: The general fund anticipates revenues of about $125.8 million, with growth driven by new development and expanding commercial base.
Other Budget Highlights
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Transportation & Roads: The city reserves funds for road maintenance and widening in targeted areas.
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Parks & Recreation: Some reallocation supports trail maintenance, park upgrades, and community events.
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Debt & Reserves: Katy plans to maintain strong reserves (roughly 25% of operating expenses) and control debt issuance to avoid crowding future budgets.
Context & Rationale
Katy has undergone rapid growth in recent years, with new residential development, commercial corridors, and increasing traffic loads. That growth places pressure on city services — especially police, fire, and emergency response.
Prior budgets faced criticism for lagging staffing levels in public safety. This budget shift signals a renewed alignment between spending and the demands residents expect for safety and security.
