The Brownsville City Commission on Sept. 2 adopted, by a unanimous vote, a balanced budget of $253 million for fiscal year 2026 that maintains the current property tax rate of $0.603504 per $100 of a property’s value.

FY 2026 begins Oct. 1. The city said the vote “reinforces the mayor and commissioners commitment to strategic growth, high-quality services and financial stewardship.”

Brownsville Mayor John Cowen Jr. described the new budget as a “blueprint for progress.” He credited commissioners for coming together to support a budget that “invests in public safety, infrastructure, parks and expanded library services while maintaining fiscal responsibility.”

The city had proposed a tax rate of $0.613629, which is what the state’s so-called voter-approved tax rate (3.5%) would have set i

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