Midland Mayor Lori Blong and the Midland City Council began work on Aug. 2 on developing the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget and tax rate, with Blong taking to social media to urge citizens to give their input on the process.
"As you might expect, a citywide annual budget is a massive undertaking,” the mayor said in an Aug. 2 Facebook post. “Our council and city staff are committed to making the budget as efficient and strategic as possible.
“I would love your engagement and feedback in this process, as we aim to make informed decisions that will positively impact our community,” Blong said.
She listed a few of her top priorities for the upcoming year, which are public safety, family-friendly quality of life, upgraded city facilities and infrastructure, a high-performing city team and a strong economy with quality jobs. According to an Aug. 2 Midland Reporter-Telegram story, budget discussions began with city staff proposing a rate that translates to $353.16 in taxes per $100,000 of home value, with the city confirming the average value of a home to be $380,000 instead of $325,000, a nearly 17% jump. The publication reported that anything closer to the “no new revenue rate” of 32.8693 cents per $100 valuation would keep the total tax bill similar to FY 2023’s.
Midland Reporter-Telegram reported that the Midland Police Department (MPD) and the Midland Fire Department (MFD) are among the municipal departments that will need the most expenditures in the neighborhood of $89 million.
Blong told constituents in her Facebook post that city leaders will be reviewing and revising the proposed budget “over the coming weeks.” She said that it’ll be filed and made available for the public to view online on Aug. 7, with public hearings slated for Aug. 22 and Aug. 29, the latter date being when the city council will adopt the finalized budget.