Boerne City Council has adopted the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget, which will invest millions of dollars in public infrastructure projects without raising the tax rate.
The adopted budget will fund significant capital improvement priorities identified by City Council and residents while advancing strategic objectives and voter-approved bond initiatives.
The $181 million budget is broken into three funding categories:
- $88 million – Utility Funds
- Electric, water, wastewater, reclaimed water, natural gas, stormwater
- $50 million – Special Revenue Funds
- Cemetery, 911 dispatch, hotel/motel fund, economic development, capital projects, bond construction funds, Public Facility Corporation
- $43 million – City Operations Funds
- Police, fire, animal control, streets, development, code enforcement, library, parks and recreation
The FY 2026 budget is $181 million, an increase of $43 million from the FY 2025 budget. The bulk of that increase ($40.3 million) is additional funding to large capital improvement projects. The remaining increase includes $1.2 million in one-time cost increases and a $1.5 million increase in the governmental and utility operations budgets, equating to a 1.7 percent operational increase.
Tax Rate Remains Steady
The tax rate for the adopted FY 2026 budget remains the same as the previous budget at $0.4716 per $100 valuation.
The average home value for the 2026 tax year is $485,000 – an increase from $460,000 in 2025. For the average home, that equates to an annual tax bill of $2,287, or $190 a month.
Value of City Services
The City of Boerne strives to maximizes each tax dollar to provide valuable services to its residents. Did you know that $6.40 per day covers all these services and many others?
The City of Boerne maintains 164 lane miles, 80 miles of sidewalks, and 5.5 miles of trails.
Boerne Parks and Recreation maintains 483 acres of parkland for 707K annual visitors.
The Patrick Heath Public Library welcomed 170K visitors, hosted 680 programs, and circulated 299K materials in 2024.
The Boerne Fire Department responded to 3,266 calls for service in 2024.
The Boerne Police Department facilitated 24K calls for service in 2024.
Investing in Capital Projects
The $181 million City budget invests $57 million in capital projects, or 32 percent of the overall budget. Of that $57 million, 39 percent is bond funding to advance projects approved by voters in the 2022 bond election.
Some of the major infrastructure projects included in the FY 2026 budget are listed below.
Governmental Fund CIP Projects
- $8 million – Fire Station No. 2 Construction
- $5.4 million – Adler Road Widening (Bond)
- $17.3 million – Northside Community Park (Bond)
Utilities CIP Projects
- $2 million – Water Treatment Plant Expansion at Boerne City Lake
- $5.4 million – Reclaimed Water Utility Upgrades and Expansion
- $1.4 million – Wastewater Treatment and Recycling Center Expansion
- $490,000 – Carbon Filtration Upgrades
Service Enhancements
New Service Roles
The FY 2026 budget includes funding for seven new positions to enhance core services and support quality of life for residents. The positions are focused on strengthening public safety, improving customer service, and supporting the amenities and community experience that make Boerne a desirable place to live. They include:
Three New Firefighters (Grant-Funded)
Emergency Management Coordinator
Police Officer
Permit Technician
Parks Crew Leader
Street Maintenance and Preservation
The adopted FY 2026 budget continues a multi-year trend of increased investment in the street improvement budget with $731,000 dedicated to reconstruction, preservation, striping, and maintenance. This is an increase of $110,000, or 18 percent, from the FY 2025 budget.
See the Full Budget
You can view the full budget on the City of Boerne website by using the links below.
Budget Approval Process
The City of Boerne held two public hearings on the proposed budget and tax rate the the Aug. 26 and Sept. 9 City Council meetings. City Council approved both the budget and tax rate on first reading Aug. 26 and again on the second reading Sept. 9.
The new fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published Aug. 26, 2025, with all budget items listed as proposed. It was updated Sept. 10, 2025, to reflect the budget items as adopted by City Council.