Denison has published formal notice of plans to consider up to $20 million in certificates of obligation for water and sewer improvements, a utility-funding move with a local parallel in Gainesville’s recent impact-fee and raw-water pump station records. The Denison City Council is tentatively scheduled to decide whether to authorize the Series 2026C certificates at 6 p.m. Oct. 19 at Denison City Hall, according to the city’s notice.
The Aug. 17 council packet says the borrowing would support water and sewer system improvements in Denison’s 10-year capital improvement plan. The City of Denison posted Aug. 18 that Resolution No. 4229 directed publication of the notice for the proposed certificates.
City staff told the council Denison issues debt each year to pay for phases of infrastructure work listed in the 10-year plan. Staff also said current projects would stop until funding could be secured if the notice resolution were not approved.
The notice says the certificates would be repaid through ad valorem taxes and a limited pledge of surplus waterworks and sewer system revenue. Key terms listed in the public notice are:
| Item | Public-record figure |
| --- | --- |
| Proposed principal cap | $20,000,000 |
| Estimated principal and interest | $30,019,608 |
| Latest listed maturity | Feb. 15, 2046 |
| Outstanding ad-valorem-tax-secured principal | $247,235,000 |
| Outstanding principal and interest on that debt | $363,183,992 |
One source of context for Denison’s 10-year planning is the city’s 2023 impact-fee study. The study projected faster growth and more utility demand through 2033:
| Denison impact-fee study measure | Figure |
| --- | --- |
| Population projection | 26,800 in 2023 to 45,078 in 2033 |
| Additional water connections | 8,401 |
| Additional wastewater connections | 6,925 |
| 10-year water capital plan | $254,380,250 |
| 10-year wastewater capital plan | $251,961,000 |
The study says Denison’s Capital Improvement Advisory Committee recommended assessed impact fees equal to half of the maximum allowable fees. The recommended assessed amounts were $4,569 for water per living unit equivalent, $6,299 for wastewater per connection and $864 for roadway per travel demand factor.
Gainesville’s records show Cooke County’s seat is working through related utility-funding questions. A July 21 Gainesville council packet proposed an actual single-family impact fee of $11,267, compared with a then-current $4,232 fee. A June 16 packet said Gainesville could seek up to $21 million through a Texas Water Development Board raw-water pump station grant requiring no local match. A Nov. 4, 2025, packet included an ordinance authorizing up to $10 million in combination tax and revenue certificates for street and utility system improvements.
The statewide water plan adds broader context. The Texas Water Development Board, which adopted the 2027 State Water Plan on July 23, said the plan projects population growth, higher water demand and lower existing supplies over 50 years, with implementation costs estimated at about $174 billion.
For Denison, the next formal date listed in the certificate notice is Oct. 19. The written records reviewed verify that the notice was adopted and published, but the city’s CivicClerk vote record for the certificate item currently does not show a roll-call or unanimous vote tally.
_Editor's note: Everyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law._
Join the conversation
Comments