Story by: Citizens for a Better Seguin
The Seguin City Council had a full agenda on September 1, with decisions involving the city budget, property taxes, utility spending, garbage rates, roadway construction, a new community park, economic development and Fire Station #4.
Rather than trying to cover every issue in depth here, this edition of This Week at City Hall provides a quick look at some of the more important actions. Better Seguin will be taking a closer look at several of these issues in separate reports over the coming weeks.
Budget, Taxes and City Debt
Council held a public hearing on Seguin’s proposed FY2027 budgets and approved the General Fund, Utility Fund, Special Revenue Fund and Debt Service Fund budgets on first reading.
Council also approved, on first reading, a 2026 property-tax rate of $0.5294 per $100 of taxable value. The proposed rate is higher than the City’s current $0.5135 rate and will generate additional property-tax revenue.
There is much more behind those numbers than simply the tax rate. Seguin continues to take on significant debt for streets, utilities and other capital projects, while some infrastructure costs are being financed through the City’s utility systems rather than property taxes.
We will be taking a much closer look at where Seguin’s debt is going, how it is being paid, and who ultimately bears those costs.
Garbage and Recycling Rates Going Up
Council also approved the first reading of an ordinance increasing residential garbage and recycling rates effective October 1, if finally adopted.
Waste Connections requested a 3% increase under its contract with the City. The company’s documents show that the underlying CPI calculation was actually 3.36%, but Waste Connections elected to request a 3% adjustment.
The basic residential garbage rate would increase from $14.44 to $14.87 per month, while recycling would increase from $3.64 to $3.75. The garbage charge is also subject to the City’s existing 13% administrative fee.
The increase is relatively small for an individual household, but we intend to look further at how much the City collects through that 13% administrative charge and where that money goes.
$4.24 Million Martindale–Strempel Project
Council approved a $4,239,372 construction contract with Texas Sterling Construction for the Martindale–Strempel Roadway Improvements Project.
This is more than a simple street resurfacing project. The work includes roadway improvements along with sidewalks, drainage and water and wastewater infrastructure.
With Seguin’s rapid growth driving increasingly large infrastructure projects, we will continue looking at not only what is being built, but how these projects are financed and whether growth is paying for growth.
New Community Park Moves Forward
Council separately approved $587,640 for professional design and construction-administration services for a new community park located north of Rudeloff Road and west of the future realigned Huber Road.
The $587,640 is for professional services — not the total cost of constructing the park.
This project is especially interesting because its financing is connected to development-related funding mechanisms. We plan to examine how much of the eventual park cost will be funded by developers, a Public Improvement District or Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, and how much could ultimately fall on Seguin taxpayers.
Other Items Worth Watching
Among the other business before Council were:
- A progress report and contracting matters concerning Fire Station #4.
- Approval of a King Street sidewalks and shared-use-path agreement with TxDOT.
- A development agreement involving approximately 6.17 acres near Burges Street.
- Approval of the FY2027 Seguin Economic Development Corporation budget.
- A consulting agreement involving Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #3.
- Changes involving the South Camp Street drainage and Rudeloff Road projects.
- Discussion involving the upcoming City Council election, including unopposed candidates in Districts 3, 7 and 8 and the continuing election in District 5.
- Closed-session discussions involving property along SH 46 and the Geronimo Creek wastewater interceptor project.
More to Come
A City Council agenda can contain hundreds of pages of reports, contracts, budgets and supporting documents. Some items are routine. Others can affect taxpayers and utility customers for years.
Better Seguin is going beyond the agenda titles.
Among the reports we’re working on are a closer examination of Seguin’s proposed property-tax increase and growing debt, how the City is using utility rates and utility debt to finance infrastructure, the costs associated with growth and development incentives, and who ultimately pays when businesses receive tax incentives or property-tax reductions.
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