Amarillo City Council unanimously approved Tuesday the Fiscal Year 2025/2026 budget and tax rate to fund the services and operations provided by the City of Amarillo (COA), including the Amarillo Police Department and the Amarillo Fire Department, as well as libraries, parks, streets, public health, water and sewer utilities, drainage, airport operations, etc.
The City of Amarillo budget will be $557 million.
Highlights of the new COA budget:
- One new police officer and one new firefighter. In addition, a four percent pay raise for APD and a three percent raise for AFD.
- More than $30 million in street projects.
- A new Dangerous Structure Removal Team.
- Continued funding for capital projects in the Parks and Recreation Department (PARD).
- $36 million in water and sewer projects with $25 million in grant funding to begin the design of wastewater treatment facilities.
- $1.4 million for the Women’s Clinic at Amarillo Public Health.
- Two percent merit raises for civilians and partial implementation of a pay study.
- 70 percent Texas Municipal Retirement System cost-of-living adjustment for COA retirees.
The new budget will raise more revenue from property taxes than the previous budget by $8.4 million – an 11.77 percent increase. The COA tax rate will be $0.43070. Appraised values increased by a little more than three percent on average, so an average household would see an $11 per month increase in the city’s portion of the tax bill.
For information on the 2025/2026 COA budget and tax rate, go to the Public Notices section near the bottom of the COA website at www.amarillo.gov/
To see the final COA budget and tax rate discussion and council vote, go to: amarillotx.new.swagit.com/videos/355633