# Amarillo City Council Special Meeting 9/29/26


**Body:** CityofAmarillo
**Date:** September 28, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Construction & Infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure


The Amarillo City Council special meeting on September 29, 2026, focused on adopting the FY 2026–27 budget and property tax rate. Council approved Ordinance 8270 adopting the budget, set the tax rate at $0.43070 (an effective 2.13% increase), and later ratified the budget and tax rate. Council also approved two resolutions related to the budget. No specific contract award, vendor selection, or bid approval was made. A speaker criticized city bids as potentially overpriced, but the council took no procurement action on that concern.

Council discussed proposed 8% water and sewer rate increases plus a further 3% for future debt, but did not vote separately on utility rates. Staff cited $247 million in identified water and sewer capital needs and approximately $14.9 million in current-year projects; the mayor said council could revisit rates or tiers after receiving further utility-billing and rate analysis, potentially through a budget amendment. Council members also discussed $43 million made available by reviewing completed or inactive capital-project accounts, unspent proceeds from the 2021 road bond, and the need for continued scrutiny of budget assumptions and capital spending.

**Source:** CityofAmarillo