Gainesville City Council voted unanimously August 4 to consider a FY 2026-2027 property tax rate of 63.1313 cents per $100 in value, a step city staff said sets the highest rate the council may adopt later, not the final tax bill. The council also set September 15 hearings at Gainesville City Hall for both the proposed tax rate and the proposed city budget, giving residents a formal chance to speak before adoption.
City staff said during the meeting that Gainesville had received certified tax rolls from the Cooke County Appraisal District. The council packet said the city was still waiting on Truth-in-Taxation forms, part of the process local governments use before adopting a levy.
Staff also told council members the proposed ceiling came in slightly below the rate used in the draft budget. Gainesville’s official tax-rate table lists the city’s current-year rate at $0.573779 per $100, after a lower rate in 2024-2025.
The September 15 hearings are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Gainesville City Hall, 200 S. Rusk St. The council packet cited state law requiring the governing body to set a public hearing date for the proposed budget, and said one public hearing is required after a record vote on a proposed tax rate.
Council members also accepted the final report from the City of Gainesville Charter Review Commission and ordered recommended charter changes to be placed before voters in a November 3 special election. Ordinance No. 1623-08-2026 calls that election for the commission’s recommendations and one additional amendment described in the ordinance as a scrivener-error correction.
Other public business affecting Cooke County residents is also moving this month. Cooke County’s website states that a burn ban took effect Monday, August 10, in the unincorporated county, where outdoor burning is prohibited while the ban remains in place.
At the August 4 council meeting, City Manager Barry Sullivan presented Gainesville’s June 2026 Employee of the Month award to Tamara Sieger. The city staff directory lists Sieger as the Emergency Management and Community Risk Specialist in the Administration Department.
The Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its August 19 Knowledge NOW Luncheon on workforce development and higher education with North Central Texas College Chancellor Dr. Brent Wallace. The chamber says the quarterly luncheon is held at the Gainesville Civic Center, 311 S. Weaver St., from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Gainesville ISD’s public BoardBook record lists an August 3 budget workshop on the district’s 2026-2027 budget, including proposed budget materials and an item tied to a 10 percent reduction. The agenda named Spencer Davis, Director of School Finance at Education Service Center Region 11, as presenter. July 20 board minutes identify Davis as providing interim financial leadership during the district’s search for a permanent finance director.
In athletics, Gainesville ISD announced Coach L.J. Searcy as interim head football coach for the Gainesville Leopards for the 2026-2027 season. The district said Searcy began working for Gainesville ISD in 2016 and has served at both the junior high and Gainesville High School levels.
The appointment follows UIL State Executive Committee action against Gainesville High School Head Football Coach Neil Searcy. UIL records show he received a one-season football suspension, probation, a public reprimand and required training; UIL also penalized the high school football program and the district athletic program.
_Editor's note: Everyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law._
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