WACO, Texas (KXXV) — For the past couple of weeks, we've been talking about Waco's city budget — but what are they doing with your money? 25 News reporter Dominique Leh is breaking down how your tax dollars directly impact the city.
- Police and fire services consume the largest share — 41% of the average $1,500 annual property tax bill ($621.79) goes toward public safety services
- Debt payments are the second biggest expense — 23% ($340) of property taxes go toward paying down the city's existing debt obligations.
- The remaining third covers everything else — Streets, housing, public works, administrative departments, economic development, and recreational activities like the Cameron Park Zoo split the final portion.
- Residents generally approve of the allocation — Most neighbors interviewed felt their tax dollars were being reasonably utilized, though some were surprised by certain spending categories.
You can watch the full story here:
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
According to the City of Waco, the average single family residence with a homestead exemption will pay just over $1,500 in property taxes per year. But where does that money really go?
About 41% of an average bill goes toward Waco police and fire. That's just over $600 ($621.79).
Another 23% — which hits at $340 — goes toward covering the city's debt.
"It looks like we're trying to get the debt down, and that's really important," Waco resident, Marsha Lopas, said.
"It's easy to forget that police and fire are something we take for granted and that's where our taxes go," Waco resident, Leighellen Landskov, said.
The remaining third goes toward streets, housing, public safety, public works, administrative departments, economic development and recreational activities like the Cameron Park Zoo.
When 25 News reporter Dominique Leh asked what surprised them most about the breakdown, one neighbor said the recreational spending caught their attention.
"The recreational, that surprised me a little bit, the community one, didn't seem like it should be as small as it was, we need to do more there," Lopas said.
But overall, Waco neighbors feel their money is being well utilized.
"When you showed me the graph I would say it all looks pretty reasonable to me, I think the city is doing a good job with recreational and cultural activities, along the riverfront, so sounds good to me," Waco local, Richard Edwards said.
You can view the full budget here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
