What to watch: Midland City Council will meet Tuesday, Sept. 15, to take final votes on the city’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget, property tax rate, and a new city fee schedule, all effective Oct. 1.

Last week, council gave initial approval to the proposed $505 million budget and a no-new-revenue property tax rate that is about 10% higher than the current rate. The no-new-revenue rate is calculated to generate roughly the same amount of property tax revenue from properties taxed in both years, with about $2.4 million from new construction added on top.

Because Midland’s existing taxable property base fell by about $1.5 billion, a higher tax rate would be required to maintain last year’s revenue level. Despite the higher rate, the city’s finance director said the median homeowner’s city property tax bill is projected to fall by about $67 because taxable values are declining.

Key items:

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  • Budget and tax rate: Council takes final votes on the $505 million budget and accompanying property tax rate, which had first readings Sept. 8. The general fund, which covers core city offerings including police, fire, parks, and road maintenance, is budgeted at $197.1 million. The remaining $307.6 million covers enterprise funds such as water, sewer, sanitation, and airport operations.
  • Fee schedule: Council takes a final vote on the updated city fee schedule, first read Sept. 8, with an effective date of Oct. 1.