Tonight’s public session outlines plans for FY27
The City of Gladewater’s coming budget is officially on the drawing board, awaiting feedback from mayor and council Thursday evening.
It’s their first workshop of Summer 2026, and there’ll be plenty on the plate to chew on beginning at 6 p.m. July 30.
“It’s all preliminary right now,” Gladewater City Manager Charlie Smith confirmed.
Working through documents prepared by City Treasurer Meghan Davis, Smith has also been coordinating with Gladewater Police Chief Kyle Ready, Fire Chief Tim Basham, Brian Smith in Public Works and to sketch the outline for the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year.
“Capital expenditure is one of their major deals,” he said, lining up projects to present for council members’ consideration July 30: “That’s kind of where we’re going to go with this – take a look at it, see where we’re at with the amount of money we’re going to be able to spend and utilize this year and move on from there.”
The council’s regular monthly meeting was July 16. Thursday’s special session begins with the standard call to order (the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance) ahead of the typical time for Citizens Comments.
It’s Smith’s fourth annual budget presentation, and he’s up first with the city’s financial outlook and ad valorem tax rate for Fiscal Year 2026-2027.
With the draft in-hand, the city’s seven elected officials will dive into the numbers with guidance from Smith, City Treasurer Meghan Foster and insights from other staffers.
Once that extensive walkthrough is complete, the night’s agenda also includes an announcement of the date and time for requisite public hearings on the proposed budget and tax rate in the weeks ahead before anticipated adoption in September.
The City of Gladewater’s fiscal year runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.