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Municipal budget season has arrived, and over the next several weeks residents in Addison, Farmers Branch and Carrollton will have opportunities to see how their cities plan to spend public dollars in the coming fiscal year.
While budgets can stretch hundreds of pages and include complex financial documents, they also serve as a roadmap for the services residents rely on every day. Police and fire protection, parks, streets, infrastructure projects, libraries, recreation programs and neighborhood improvements all begin with the annual budget process.
This is also one of the few times each year residents have the opportunity to review spending priorities before they are adopted.
Addison took its first official step on July 31 when City Manager David Gaines submitted the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget to the Town Council, as required by the Town Charter. According to the town, the proposed budget aligns with the Council's strategic priorities while supporting future planning, community commitments and municipal services.
The Addison Town Council will hold its annual budget work session 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at Addison Town Hall, 15600 Addison Road. Residents can review the proposed budget before the meeting.
The proposed Addison budget is on the town’s website.
Additional budget information is available here.
In Farmers Branch, the proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget is now available for public review.
City Manager Ben Williamson wrote in his letter to Farmers Barnch City Council that the proposal is intended to maintain the services residents depend on while making strategic investments for the future and remaining positioned to respond to uncertainty. His letter also emphasized responsible financial stewardship, long-term planning and continued investment in public safety, infrastructure, neighborhoods, economic development and customer service.
Residents will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback during the Budget Town Hall at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Farmers Branch City Hall. Those unable to attend may submit comments by email to fbinfo@farmersbranchtx.gov.
The proposed Farmers Branch budget can be viewed on the city’s budget page of the website.
Carrollton has not yet released its proposed budget. The city's budget webpage currently includes previously adopted budgets and financial information, but no proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget has been posted as of Monday afternoon.
Residents can monitor the city's budget page for updates.
Whether residents read every page or simply want to understand the big picture, budget season offers one of the clearest windows into a city's priorities. It is where elected officials decide not only how tax dollars will be spent, but which projects move forward, which services expand and what investments will shape the community in the year ahead.
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