Corpus Christi’s largest annual budget was proposed by the City Council on July 27 with input from residents requested. Five question-and-answer sessions will be held in August. Illustration from city of Corpus Christi
Majority of budget slated for public safety
Public hearings for the city of Corpus Christi’s largest-ever budget have been set on several dates in August. No property tax or sales tax increases will be needed to fund the $1.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2022, according to information released at the City Council’s regular meeting Tuesday, July 27.
Basic city services were listed as a priority with substantial investment in street reconstruction and maintenance, public safety, parks, and neighborhood services improvements. The General Fund will continue to maintain strong financial reserves, City Manager Pete Zanoni said when he delivered the budget to the council. The council will vote on the budget sometime before the September deadline and after the public hearings. Zanoni delivered his first $1 billion-plus budget in 2019.
“For the third year in a row, we are increasing investment in critical infrastructure and quality-of-life assets, including streets, public safety, parks, neighborhoods, and our utilities (water, wastewater, stormwater, and gas)," Zanoni said.
Corpus Christi residents are invited to question-and-answer sessions led by city leaders in each city district in August. The meetings will have brief opening remarks and a budget video with most of the time reserved for a question-and-answer session.
All meetings begin at 6 p.m. at the following dates and locations:
Monday, Aug. 9
District 1: Owen R. Hopkins Public Library, 3202 McKinzie Road
Wednesday, Aug. 11
District 2: Lindale Senior Center, 3135 Swantner St.
Thursday, Aug. 12
District 3: Water Utilities-Choke Canyon Room, 2726 Holly Road
Monday, Aug. 16
District 4: Ethel Eyerly Senior Center, 654 Graham Road
Wednesday, Aug. 18
District 5: Veterans Memorial High School-Teaching Theater, 3750 Cimarron Blvd.
"One of the most important parts of the budget process is making sure that our residents' voices are heard,” Mayor Paulette M. Guajardo said. “I want to invite everyone to participate in one of the five public meetings next month. Your City Council and I will provide proper oversight to deliver to our residents a balanced budget that supports the needs of our growing community."
The 2022 proposed budget in its entirety can be found on the city of Corpus Christi website.
