Much of the news coming from City Hall seems to be causing understandable concerns as management and city council members deal with the challenge of a projected shortfall in revenues – something not experienced in a long time.
Recent reports of how Arlington’s experience of serving its 400,000 residents compares with other area cities give us a better measure of how it affects our pocketbooks.
It also helps us to better evaluate our sense of satisfaction when asking ourselves if we feel we are getting our money’s worth when we take a closer look at what we are paying for the services we want and need in our daily lives.
Those other area cities in this review include Dallas, Fort Worth, Mansfield, Garland, Plano, Frisco, Richardson, Irving, McKinney, Bedford, Carrollton, Euless, and Lewisville.
These were selected based on median home sale prices and applicable exclusions, such as the basic homestead exemption and over-65 benefits, to get a reasonable basis for such comparisons.
Let’s start the review with probably what first comes to mind – our property taxes. Let’s include two other things cities provide that we rely on in our daily lives – water and garbage disposal.
The cost for this category is the lowest among the 14 cities on that comparison list. It works out to less than $2,000 annually and ranges to just over $3,000 for the average in the most expensive city.
Here are a few more details provided by the city: Arlington’s Fiscal Year 2025 tax levy per capita is $652, far lower than the $1,184 per capita in Fort Worth or $1,167 in Dallas. Arlington’s tax levy per capita is also lower than Mesquite and Garland, which are near $750, as well as Plano, Carrollton, and Irving, which range from $904 to $971.
The average tax levy among all the comparable cities is $887.
When it comes to looking at the cost to every Arlington resident to support all the expenses in the general fund of the city, we come in as the least expensive at $850. The average among those other cities is $1,280.
Did you notice the disparity between the average per-person cost of $652 for the property tax and the overall cost of the general fund at $850? The closest answer to that question points directly to the city’s second-largest source of revenue – sales taxes.
Studies have found that the majority of that revenue comes from OPM – other people’s money. Our tourism industry is our largest economy, and along with retail centers and dining out, it is why our property tax bill is as low as it is.
The city’s largest cost in its annual budget is for the 3,003 employees who provide all the services and public support we all depend upon. If our biggest cost, how do we compare with those other cities?
The city’s reply: Arlington is a lean organization compared to city employees per capita in these other area communities. The 50th largest city in America provides just 76 employees per 10,000 residents. Police and Fire Department staff are the priority, carrying out duties to serve and keep us safe.
To conclude this brief look at the challenge to do what we want and need, our economy is strong with a median household income of $73,519, an unemployment rate of about four percent, and lower than both the state and federal averages.
The median home price here is $330,000 – more affordable than in Dallas and Fort Worth and below the average among the comparable cities overall.
If this whets your appetite to look deeper into how this is all unfolding in the upcoming city budget, head over to the city’s extensive website and enter the search term “Piecing it Together.”
