Tyler’s budget focuses on public safety, water utilities
Posted/updated on: August 15, 2025 at 4:18 pm
TYLER – During the Tyler City Council meeting on Wednesday morning, the City Manager presented the proposed $219.3 million budget, highlighting improvements to public safety, streets, water utilities and more. After months of collaboration and planning, the annual budget was proposed during the City Council meeting, where City Manager Edward Broussard covered every aspect of the plan and how it would benefit the community.
Public Safety
“Public safety remains our largest and most important investment,” Broussard said.
Police department: For the fourth year, the budget will fund the AXON taser and body camera replacement program. This keeps the technology current, replaces damaged equipment without large cash outlays and maintains the “high level of accountability and safety our community expects.”
Fire department: For the ninth year, the budget will fund a self-contained breathing apparatus lease.
Animal shelter: The second stage of the kennel upgrades will make cleaning faster and improve conditions for the animals.
Code enforcement: The budget will continue to address commercial substandard structures, with $200,000 set aside to remove up to 15 buildings, making neighbors “safer and more attractive for investment.”
Tyler PD urges citizens to look out for potential scam phone calls
Streets and Traffic
“We are delivering on our promise to maintain and improve our streets,” Broussard explained. “In fiscal year 2026, we continue using two pennies of our property tax rate to fund maintenance of streets in Tyler.”
Quality Street Commitment Funding
Seal coat and crack seal projects: $1,493,818
Brick street repairs and maintenance: $869,722
Public alley repairs and maintenance: $165,000
Street Operations
12-yard dump truck
Relocate a building from the old fairgrounds
Traffic Signal Maintenance Funding
For the sixth year, the implementation of the Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) plan
Increase maintenance funding per the ITS timeline
Nightly road closures expected for Toll 49 in Tyler due to road enhancements
Water Utilities
“We are proposing 15.3 million in cash-funded water and wastewater capital improvements,” Broussard said. An investment in the future reliability and safety of our system.”
Water distribution: $2,367,732
Meter and meter boxes
Service lines
Downtown improvements
Water treatment: $2,692,554
Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plant
Taste and odor engineering
Gate Replacement
Wastewater collection: $3,977,486
Extensions
Settler’s Landing, Bass Pro Way, Construction
TxDOT Utility Relocation, FM 756, Construction
Wastewater treatment: $5,367,827
WSWWTP Rehab Project
Lake Tyler: $100,000
Funding for the initial year of boathouse inspections
Tyler Water Utilities to begin testing water for taste, odor study
Budget timeline
There will be two upcoming public hearings about the budget and tax rate, with the first one being on Aug. 27 and the second on Sept. 10 where the City Council will vote on the budget and tax rate at the end of the meeting.
Both meetings will be held in the City Council chambers at City Hall, located at 212 N. Bonner Avenue, and begin at 9 a.m.
All Tyler residents are also welcome to attend the Comprehensive Plan Open House on Thursday, which provides an outlet for “community members a chance to learn about the city’s long-range plans and share ideas that will help guide growth and development over the next 20 years.”
This come-and-go event will be held on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Mayfair Building on 415 Fair Park Drive.
“The Tyler Tomorrow Comprehensive Plan will serve as a roadmap through 2045, covering everything from housing and land use to transportation, economic development, and public infrastructure,” the city said. “It builds on the foundation of the Tyler 1st Comprehensive Plan from 2007 and related area plans, reflecting new data, new opportunities and the changing needs of the community.”
