It’s hard to believe it’s already September and school is back in session. Along with the end of summer comes the end of the fiscal year and budget development which must be finalized by the end of September. We expect the Copper Canyon FY 2025–2026 budget will have been approved by the Town Council by the time you read this article. The town’s finances are in good shape and should be even better after this upcoming fiscal year.
One study of home values in Texas showed Copper Canyon was in the top 15 fastest growing appraisal values in the state of Texas. Please note our budget for FY 2025-2026 did not raise your taxes one penny via a higher tax rate. If you are paying more in property taxes year over year, it is due to the increased value of your home, not because the town changed its tax rate. If you personally are spending more towards taxes, year over year, it is because the value of your house went up.
As property values increase, Copper Canyon receives additional revenue from Denton County. In other words, when property values rise while the tax rate remains the same, the town collects more dollars. This is our primary source of operating funds and to pay off debt. Additional revenue comes from sales tax generated by resident purchases, as well as permits and fees, which together form the main funding streams that support town services. Each of these is carefully analyzed in preparing the budget. The State of Texas has increased the property homestead exemption in an effort to reduce property taxes. Copper Canyon’s leadership has likewise held the tax rate steady this year. As a reminder, residents may protest home valuation increases with Denton County to help manage their property tax burden.
The second part of the budget process is the spending. We have cut spending FY 2025-2026 compared to FY 2024-2025 by approximately $30,000 dollars. Many of the items we reduced were small reductions, but cumulatively they added up. The town’s largest expenditures on a yearly basis are salaries and benefits for our town’s six employees. We have three police officers and three personnel working at town hall. I feel that is as “bare bones” as you can have and still provide the services you expect on a daily basis.
We are budgeting for projects such as drainage control, update of the town ordinances and road maintenance and repairs. Specific projects coming up this year which include completing the signal light at FM 407 at the Vickery and Williams Ranch entry. Also setting aside our commitment to completely replace the bridge on Estates Drive which we are partnering with Denton County on. The town of Copper Canyon appreciates Denton County’s help in getting this bridge updated.
Please remember that along with your town council, there are other organizations where we need volunteers; Planning and Zoning and Board of Adjustments. These are filled by town volunteer citizens who give up maybe one evening a month to ensure their town is going the direction they desire. We need as many people to sign up as possible. We recently updated the process of selection where the Town Council- people you voted for- will not only select the members but also now will select the chairman of each committee. I proposed this and the council approved this change so your voice thru vote is more represented in town leadership.
Just a quick reminder to mark your calendars for the Fall Cleanup on October 4 from 8-11:30 a.m. Visit the town website for more information.
Please reach out to any council member on issues you wish explained or dealt with. Hopefully soon you will see updates to our website your council members have been working on.
