Residents and Coppell city leadership gathered on Thursday for the Coppell Budget Town Hall at Cozby Library and Community Commons to weigh in on spending priorities and provide feedback on the Vision 2040 strategic plan.
With interactive displays and informal Q&A sessions, city officials encouraged participants to help shape the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
“Everything that we do in the city is really based around the community,” chief communications strategist Hannah Cook said. “Budget is one of our, if not the highest, priority items or projects that we work on each year. Knowing that we are using taxpayer funds, we want to make sure that we are being really good stewards of those funds and we need input from the community.”
Residents used sticky notes to provide feedback for priorities across seven Vision 2040 pillars, which include:
- Perpetuate a learning environment
- Foster an inclusive community fabric
- Enhance the “unique community” oasis
- Future-oriented approach to residential development
- Creative business and innovation nodes
- Implement innovation transportation networks
- Apply “smart-city” approach to resource management
The feedback will be reviewed as the City Council prepares for three future budget workshops prior to finalizing its plan.
“Through the Q&A, we can enhance what we are doing as it relates to community engagement,” city manager Mike Land said. “I look forward to looking through the yellow stickies that were put up on the different pillars as far as 2040 is concerned to see if we are missing something to say, ‘lets approach it.’”
According to deputy city manager Traci Leach, the city’s top priorities are in pillar five of the plan, which included business development and retention, preparing the community for business retail and housing in the future and being in communication with business communities.
“We are working towards how we can be a responsible city,” Leach said. “It’s about making sure Coppell is well positioned for innovation and technology.”
Old Town Coppell is identified as a high-priority area for improvement within the pillar. City leadership expressed desires to make it a vibrant location.
During the Q&A, residents expressed concerns for the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Texas sales tax policies, and whether the state will shift from an origin-based to a destination-based tax system.
Leadership explained it is budgeting as if the shift has already happened, anticipating lower sales tax revenues as a precaution. Many questions were also asked about how to keep the city involved and connected.
“Fortunately for Coppell, we have always budgeted very conservatively and have been able to provide the services the community expects,” Land said. “People love living here, and so we will continue to provide that level of service.
Residents were also encouraged to participate in future planning sessions. The feedback helps determine which projects receive funding in the next fiscal year, ensuring that Coppell remains aligned with its Vision 2040 plan and community expectations.
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