By Ron Schmidt, Mayor of Argyle
Hello friends and neighbors of Argyle!
October is finally here, and hopefully cooler temperatures are around the corner. For municipalities, October is the start of a new year as we have officially adopted the 2025-2026 budget along with the tax rate of $0.3431 per $100 of taxable value. It’s a decrease from the previous budget year and I’m pleased to announce that we were able to set aside $1,750,000 for road repairs, $250,000 for the Argyle Nature Trail and another $500,000 for the future police station (in addition to what has already been set aside). The initial price proposed was extremely high but after meeting with other contractors, I’m certain we can deliver the same or a superior product at a much lower price tag than originally presented. I know Argyle’s finest are excited as we are getting closer to bringing the new station to fruition.
I believe that governmental budgeting is one of the most important tasks that elected officials are tasked with when they are elected by the citizens. With diligent spending and zero based budgeting, which we adopted three years ago, the road map has been created for how citizens’ tax dollars will be spent on their behalf. As your Mayor, my goal is to deliver more quality-of-life amenities and infrastructure improvements here in Argyle.
In September, the Town of Argyle welcomed Shannon McPearson as the accounting manager. Shannon is a licensed CPA and holds degrees both in finance and accounting. She brings a wealth of expertise to the table from her long tenure in the private sector. Welcome aboard Shannon!
In Argyle Development news, I am pleased to announce that the Argyle Station and the Shell/Sonic on Frenchtown have voluntarily annexed into the Town of Argyle. That’s great news for the Town as we continue to add commercial sales tax dollars. This shifts some of the tax burden off our residential homeowners with the ultimate goal of lowering our citizens’ property tax rates even more.
Identifying alternative revenue streams is important as it helps reduce the tax rate on homeowners. The commercial area immediately west of I-35W and FM 407 around the new Tom Thumb is also in our extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), and currently only captures ¼ of 1% of sales tax. On November 4th Argyle voters will be able to change that, by voting to increase the ETJ sales tax rate in that area to be equal with the rest of the town. Doing so, will increase our sales tax revenues by several hundred thousand dollars annually.
Some of our local dentists have asked me to give them a plug so here it is. On Oct. 25th from 6-8 p.m., the Argyle Police Department is hosting a free community event at Liberty Christian School. Join us at the 5th Annual Trunk or Treat. Bring the family and join us for a great time. There will be bounce houses, a foam machine, hot dogs and CANDY! I would also like to give special thanks to Chief Jackson and his team as well as the Argyle Citizens Patrol Alumni Association for all their help making this fun-filled family event happen.
On Halloween, Oct. 31st, make the Town of Argyle one of your trick-or-treat stops! Council members and I will be in front of town hall at 308 Denton Street passing out candy and treats from 5:45-7 p.m. We look forward to seeing all the ghosts, goblins and other kiddos in their costumes.
As always, thank you for allowing me to be your voice at Town Hall.
