FY2026 Budget

On August 12, City Manager Jay Chapa and Chief Transformation Officer Christianne Simmons presented the recommended 2026 budget to the City Council.

This year’s budget is shaped by population growth, with the City’s population now exceeding 1 million people, and by the evolving property tax landscape in Texas. The recommended operating budget is $3.09 billion, an increase of 10.93%, or just over $304 million, from the FY2025 adopted budget.

Chapa emphasized the City’s commitment to fiscal responsibility through:

• 1% cuts and strategic reductions in departmental budgets
• Fee increases for cost of services and long-term sustainability where needed
• Sustaining cash investment in infrastructure projects through PayGo
• Static debt service percentage to support future Bond capacity

The budget will increase to sustain service levels for Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and add resources for the Housing Priority Repair Program, Mobile Tool Shed Program and animal shelters. Additional PayGo funds will be added for street and park maintenance. The recommended budget aligns with the City Council’s Strategic Priorities: Economic Development, Community Investment, Community Safety, Infrastructure and Responsible Growth.

Property tax rate

The recommended tax rate for FY2026 is $0.6700, a reduction of 1/4 cent from the current tax rate of $0.6725. Out of the $0.6700, $0.5225 is allocated to operations and maintenance and $0.1475 is allocated to debt. With the recommended tax rate at $0.6700, the City’s property tax revenue would increase by over $39 million to a total of $817 million. A typical household would pay $20 less per year in City property taxes because of the proposed tax rate reduction.

General Fund budget

The recommended General Fund budget is $1.11 billion, an increase of 4.56% from the previous year. Growth in the General Fund budget this year is largely driven by:

• Public safety: $35.7 million (68% of growth)
• Workforce: $11.9 million
• Capital funding: $4.6 million

Significant changes in departmental funding include establishing a new Emergency Management and Communications Department, moving Homeless Strategies and Planning into the City Manager’s Office, shifting responsibility for homeless camp enforcement from Code Compliance to Environmental Services and redistributing funding and staff from the former Diversity & Inclusion Department.

Over the next month, budget meetings will be held in each Council district. All meeting dates, times and locations are listed in our Key Dates.

Meetings will be in-person and will also be available live on the City of Fort Worth YouTube channel and on the City's TV website at fortworthtexas.gov/FWTV. Questions can be asked at each of the meetings and they can be submitted using the link below.

In September, the council will vote on the final budget and tax rate for the upcoming year. The new fiscal year starts Oct. 1, 2025.