Garden Ridge unanimously approved a fiscal 2026 budget amendment that moved the Vista Ridge tie-in to fiscal 2027 and reduced the related general-fund loan to the water fund by $595,000. The June 3 minutes record a 4-0 vote on Ordinance 250-062026.
Garden Ridge water customers will wait until fiscal 2027 for construction of the Vista Ridge tie-in; city staff said the delay creates time to pursue possible grant funding. The packet describes the construction delay as the tradeoff for giving the city more time to seek that outside support.
Before the amendment, the fiscal 2026 water budget carried $943,000 in capital outlay and a $660,000 general-fund loan to the water fund. The amended table puts current-year water capital outlay at $293,000 and retains $65,000 of the loan as the project moves into the next budget year.
The ordinance reshaped spending beyond the water project. The packet increased planned police capital expenditures from about $75,000 to $125,200 for an additional outfitted police unit, added $18,000 for a community-center HVAC replacement and raised the administration engineering-services line from about $75,000 to $155,000. It also reduced projected police payroll because of vacancies while increasing overtime for staffing coverage.
The amended water-fund summary projects a $10.4 million ending balance, including about $1.79 million classified as unrestricted after restricted funds and investment in capital assets. The table equates that unrestricted amount to eight months of expenditures, providing context for the city’s decision to defer the tie-in rather than spend the original capital allocation this year.
Council also approved the Grace Covenant Church final plat on a separate 4-0 vote. The plat establishes one 2.826-acre lot and includes a 0.0446-acre right-of-way dedication in Garden Ridge; the Planning and Zoning Commission had recommended approval before the council action.
The same meeting began Garden Ridge’s fiscal 2027 budget work. The minutes say the council reviewed preliminary revenue, capital projects and budget priorities, while the packet’s calendar scheduled additional workshops, appraisal and tax-rate calculations, budget filing, public hearings and adoption dates through early September.
The next scheduled decision in the June calendar is the Sept. 2 public hearing and adoption of the 2026 tax rate. Residents can inspect the updated June packet for the amended line items and read Comal.News’ later Garden Ridge budget report for the subsequent household-tax estimate; the Vista Ridge thread should reopen when the city posts a fiscal 2027 appropriation or revised project schedule.