City councils in Texas are all grappling with deficits or deficits as they prepare expenses for the upcoming fiscal year. Costs have boomed over the past ten years in comparison to the rates of population growth and prices.
A number of the five largest cities in Texas ‘ budget documents attribute shortfalls to a combination of new property tax laws and a depressed financial industry. In addition, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin’s overall operating expenses have increased by about 78 percent since 2016.
According to the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm”>Bureau of Labor Statistics, national prices have increased by roughly 40 % over the same time, and the total population of these cities has grown by about 8 %, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Here are the specifics for each area and where they stand in the budget process.
Houston
<a href=”https://thetexan.news/issues/texas-taxes-spending/whitmire-s-budget-proposal-skips-houston-property-tax-rate-increase-adds-trash-collections-fee/article_f58e96e4-9cb5-41b4-95b4-728347488231.html”><span>Houston</span></a>, which has the highest population and spending rates, <a href=”https://www.houstontx.gov/moc/2026/pass-fy2027-budget.html”><span>approved</span></a> a$ 7.5 billion budget in June. That is 69 percent more than the$ 4. 4 billion budget it had in 2016 for.
In addition, the city’s population increased by only 4.3 percent, the most recent year for which Census Bureau data is available, from 2.3 million in 2016 to an estimated 2.4 million in 2025.
According to the city controller, the budget of Houston Mayor John Whitmire still has a$ 25 million deficit. Edward Pollard ( Dist. ), a member of the Houston City Council J) was the only council member to oppose the resources, calling it “fiscally irresponsible,” according to <a href="https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/city-of-houston/2026/06/10/554231/city-of-houston-passes-whitmires-7-5-billion-budget-for-fiscal-year-2027/”>Houston Public Media.
Austin
Austin’s budget is minute this year despite being the smallest of the five cities. The city <a href=”https://www.austintexas.gov/communications/news/austin-city-council-approves-66-billion-budget-fiscal-year-2026-2027″><span>passed</span></a> a budget of$ 6.6 billion on August 12, which is roughly 79 percent more than its$ 3.7 billion budget from 2016 on August 12.
Since then, the people of Austin has increased by about 9 %, with the Census Bureau projecting a city population of 921, 066 in 2016 and 1, 002, 632 in 2025.
According to Austin Budget and Organizational Excellence, full deductible property value will decrease by 3.4 percent, from$ 229.8 billion in FY 2026 to$ 22 billion in FY 2027.
According to an official forecast, Austin’s public account may have experienced a$ 264 million gap in FY 2027, which would increase to$ 122 million by FY 2031 under the no-new-revenue property tax rate. The city increased the property tax rate, which is the highest rate permitted by state law, to$ 0.579948 per$ 100 valuation.
Dallas
Dallas is nevertheless considering its budget, but the working document for the town manager totals almost$ 5.7 billion, which is 85 % more than the$ 3.1 billion resources the city adopted in 2016. According to national estimates, the city’s population has increased by 2.4 percent since 2016.
Although the proposed budget by mayor Eric Johnson would lower the property tax rate, the city continues to receive income tax documents that are far below forecast.
By the end of September, the Dallas City Council will have finalized the funds.
San Antonio
The city’s operating review tallies$ 4.4 billion, and San Antonio intends to adopt a budget on September 17. That is 73 percent more than the$ 2.5 billion budget approved in 2016’s adoption.
According to the Census Bureau, the state’s second-largest capital increased by 10 % between 2016 and 2025, reaching an endpoint of 1, 548, 422 people last year.
A property tax deduction for business personal property and a decreased housing sales that were presented to the city committee on May 6 were the two factors that contributed to the limited budget situation.
Fort Worth
Fort Worth, the smallest area of the five, had a population of 1, 028, 117 in 2025, up 20 % over the previous ten years, starting with 853, 083 citizens in 2016. The city’s funds, which is roughly 90 percent larger than the$ 1.8 billion budget of 2016, has also grown the fastest among those of the five major cities.
The proposed budget would increase the property tax rate from$ 700 to$ 7000-per-value of$ 100. The potential price increase, according to city team, was a wise decision in response to” a deteriorating property taxes environment, slowed existing property value growth, and possible legislative changes that continue to cause uncertainty in financial forecasting.”
The city’s last funds meeting is scheduled for <a href="https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/the-fwlab/budget/fy2027″>September 15.
Ultimately, the Texas Triangle
Between 2016 and 2026, the combined budgets for these cities increased by about 78 percent, from$ 5.5 billion to$ 2.5 billion.
According to the Census Bureau, these cities ‘ combined population increased by 7.8 % percent, from 6.8 million in 2016 to 7.3 million in 2025.
Methodology
The Texan gathered the adopted merged budgets for each city for the years 2016 to 2026, which represent all funds. The exact expenditure may vary from the adopted version by the end of any governmental time.
San Antonio, Fort Worth, and Dallas have not yet passed funds regulations.
The City of Houston tops its total from 2016 to 2022 in the millionth location and from 2023 to 2023 in the thousandth.
