Gatesville sets budget calendar, Coryell County timeline still pending

Gatesville residents now have a clear path to weigh in before tax rates and spending plans are locked in, with city budget meetings stretching from a May 30 retreat to final adoption on Sept. 8. Coryell County and Gatesville ISD have also started laying out their own FY27 calendars, but the county’s full timeline is still not public, leaving taxpayers with only a partial view of when the biggest decisions will land.

The City of Gatesville approved its budget calendar at the May 12 City Council meeting. The schedule includes a budget retreat on Saturday, May 30, preliminary budget presentations on June 9, June 23 and July 14, a proposed budget discussion on July 28, presentation of the proposed budget on Aug. 11, a first formal reading on Aug. 25, a public hearing on Sept. 1 and final adoption on Sept. 8. City budget materials say the proposed plan is developed with city departments, reviewed by the city manager and then presented to council under a structured calendar that follows state law.

That process matters because the city’s FY26 adopted budget reached $32.4 million, up $3.8 million from FY25, and council approved a property tax rate of 0.56000 per $100 valuation. The city’s taxpayer-impact statement says that if the proposed $0.56000 rate is adopted, the average homestead owner would pay about $28 more each year than under the no-new-revenue rate.

Coryell County Commissioners Court has not yet posted a formal FY27 budget calendar, even though commissioners began talking about next year’s spending on May 12. In that meeting, Sam Goldsmith of Goldsmith Solutions told commissioners that about 53 percent of county devices need immediate attention and only 16 percent are fully up to date. He recommended setting aside roughly $400,000 to $500,000 for county information technology in FY27.

The county’s budget picture is also tied to bigger capital projects. Commissioners discussed a $3.9 million grant for the Straws Mill Road project and courthouse master plan grant applications that have already been submitted. Those items show that the next budget will not just cover routine operations, but also road work, technology upgrades and long-range planning.

Gatesville Independent School District has set its own FY27 dates, with Superintendent Dr. Barrett Pollard scheduled to present a proposed budget and tax rate at a special meeting on Aug. 4. The board then plans a regular meeting on Aug. 17, a public hearing on Aug. 25 and final approval on Aug. 31. The district is also managing the Teacher Incentive Allotment program, which involved 23 educators in 2024-25 and produced reimbursements ranging from $4,000 to $16,000 for 15 teachers. Trustees approved an initial TIA payment of $146,451 from fund balance until state reimbursement arrives in September.

The next few months will set the financial frame for city services, county operations and school staffing across Gatesville and surrounding communities. After last year’s bruising county tax debate, the dates now on the calendar are the moments when residents still have a chance to shape what comes next.