GEORGETOWN, Texas — Georgetown’s preliminary fiscal year 2026–27 budget totals about $1.6 billion, with more than $876 million directed toward infrastructure as the city plans for continued population growth.
City Manager David Morgan presented the preliminary plan to City Council on June 23. The proposal emphasizes roads, public safety and water infrastructure, while also acknowledging slower growth in some revenue sources.
Infrastructure dominates the proposal
According to the published budget overview, infrastructure spending would exceed operating expenses. The proposal includes substantial capital work tied to roads, water and other growth-related needs.
The scale of the capital program is significant: the more than $876 million identified for infrastructure represents over half of the proposed $1.6 billion budget.
Residents could see higher service charges
The preliminary plan proposes a 5% increase in residential solid-waste rates and an 8% increase for commercial solid-waste customers. The residential stormwater fee would increase by $1.50 per month. The June proposal did not include an electric-rate increase.
These charges matter alongside the property-tax discussion because residents experience the cost of city government through more than the tax rate alone. Utility and service fees can raise the household cost of local government even when a headline tax rate is held steady or reduced.
The tax rate is still part of the process
The June budget presentation anticipated a later Council step to establish a maximum property-tax rate and public-hearing schedule before final adoption. WLP has not found a reliable primary or contemporaneous source establishing the exact Aug. 11 maximum-rate action, so this report does not state a final or maximum FY 2026–27 tax rate as fact.
That distinction is important: a proposed budget is not the same thing as an adopted budget, and a maximum tax rate is not necessarily the rate Council ultimately adopts.
What taxpayers should watch
Before final adoption, residents should watch for the adopted tax rate, changes to the capital program, any revisions to proposed fees, debt-financed projects and the final cost implications for a typical household.
One project already drawing Council discussion is the proposed Blue Hole Park renovation, budgeted at about $7.9 million in the capital plan, with some Council interest in weighing that project against other road priorities.
City officials have indicated that final budget adoption is planned for September.