League City Council approved the first reading of a $333 million budget for fiscal year 2027 at its Tuesday, Aug. 25 meeting, setting up a final vote on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The spending plan includes a property tax rate the city says is lower than last year's adopted rate of $0.36355 per $100 of assessed value. The no-new-revenue rate certified by the Galveston County Tax Assessor Collector is $0.356505 per $100, according to the city's tax rate notice. The exact rate approved at first reading has not been published in available meeting records.

Mayor Nick Long released a video on Friday, Aug. 28 through his "Short Talks with Mayor Long" series, outlining the budget's priorities ahead of the final vote. The city's announcement said Long discussed the proposed tax rate and highlighted initiatives funded in the new fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

Public safety dominates the budget. The League City Police Department accounts for roughly $30 million of the general fund's expenses, making it the single largest operational cost, according to Community Impact. The budget also proposes 7.75 new positions, including a senior crime analyst, two paramedics, two EMTs and camp counselor and assistant director staffing for parks and recreation.

Three new police vehicles would be funded through asset forfeiture dollars.

City Manager John Baumgartner told the council at its July 14 meeting that the budget is built on the no-new-revenue rate. "The budget is based on the no new revenue rate, so we try to hold true to that and can't fit everything that staff has asked for or that we think was worthy of inclusion in the budget," Baumgartner said.

The general fund projects $112.6 million in revenue against $114.1 million in expenditures, according to the July 27 budget workshop. The city's estimated taxable property value for 2026 is $13.2 billion.

Capital projects in the five-year plan include FM 2094 traffic safety improvements at Twin Oaks Boulevard, neighborhood drainage improvements, trail maintenance and new trail construction along Floyd Road and in Bay Colony, and restrooms at League Park.

On the utility side, the budget proposes a sanitary sewer evaluation study and the first two phases of the Meadowbend wastewater lift station.

Council also considered a separate ordinance at the Aug. 25 meeting authorizing up to $165.9 million in certificates of obligation to fund infrastructure and park improvements citywide.

A digital copy of the proposed budget is available on the city's website. A hard copy can be reviewed at the Helen Hall Library or the City Secretary's Office. Council will take its final vote on the budget and tax rate at its next regular meeting.