City of Corpus Christi | City Council FY 2027 Budget Workshop July 16, 2026

The City of Corpus Christi held a City Council FY 2027 Budget Workshop on July 16, 2026, focusing extensively on the wastewater system improvements under a 15-year Consent Decree agreement with the EPA, Department of Justice, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The workshop detailed progress on capital projects including pipe replacements, manhole rehabilitations, and lift station upgrades, with explicit costs totaling approximately $110 million to date and a remaining capital budget of $544 million. The city highlighted significant savings of $63.4 million achieved through self-performance by city crews versus contractor work. Additionally, the council discussed the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) rate case involving outside city limit ratepayers, with a contested $6.4 million adjustment recommendation by PUC staff, and the voluntary drought surcharge exemption fee generating $37.6 million since 2018 to fund drought-resistant water supply projects. The meeting also covered proposed staffing enhancements for reclaimed water program operations, utility billing for new gas department customers, and utility assistance program administration, all funded through respective fees or allocations. Water and wastewater rate projections were reviewed, showing modest increases aligned with capital and operational needs, including the impact of new water supply projects. The council received updates on water supply conditions, drought contingency stages, and ongoing efforts to manage inflows and system maintenance to reduce sanitary sewer overflows and improve system reliability.