Providence Village residents took their chance to speak about the proposed tax rate and budget, along with other matters, at the Sept. 1 Town Council meeting.
Town Manager Brian Roberson recapped the Aug. 18 town meeting, where he spoke in depth about the proposed budget and tax rate.
“The proposed tax rate is $0.511093 [per $100 valuation], which is lower than the no new revenue rate of $0.511393,” Roberson said. “The no new revenue M&O portion is $0.270980. The debt portion is $0.240413. The voter approval tax rate is $0.569119.”
He reiterated that it is a tax rate increase, not a tax increase.
In the general fund expense, the town has proposed adding a deputy town secretary, ancillary insurance benefits, increased police funding and increased property insurance that the city owns.
Roberson reported that property tax has increased over 3% because of the new construction, sales tax increased over 32% because of commercial and population, and permits are anticipated to be flat.
The average homestead taxable decreased 7.3% from 2025-26.
“A lot of people don't understand the mathematics of it,” Mayor Linda Inman said. “Everybody's home values came down. That's what everybody begged for. … Well, when you lower your base, the other side of the equation, your budget can stay the same every year, [but] if you lower your base, that rate has to come up to cover that budget.”
Absolute exemptions increased by 36%, going from $59.9 million in 2025 to $81.6 million in 2026.
During the public hearing, resident David Vartian raised a few concerns.
“As the town is only three and a half square miles, [it] will be completely built out by the end of the decade,” Vartian said. “The question then becomes, what comes next when we can no longer rely on an influx of new residents to support our current budget? This budget is a warning for what could happen if we stay on the same fiscal course.”
Council is set to adopt a budget and tax rate on Sept. 15.
Also at the meeting, Republic Services General Manager David Baker and Operations Manager Chase Pettigrew came to address the ongoing issues with trash pickup and communication.
The recommended solution is to split service into two days, Monday and Wednesday, to account for the area’s growth; however, bulk pick-up won’t be impacted.
Monday routes will include Heritage Landing HOA and Providence HOA, and on Wednesdays, it will be Chatham Reserve, the Enclave at Pecan Creek, Foree Ranch and Woodstone.
The split days will take effect in late September or early October.
Residents will be alerted about the change through flyers placed on doors by Republic Services, the town’s social media and website, and updates to the HOA contacts.
“I hope these two days work,” Inman said. “… Every Tuesday morning, every Monday, I'm getting slammed with trash complaints. I'm getting a little over it, and I think everybody else up here is, too. And so, we're going to give you this chance to split it up into two days, and I hope that it gets fixed.”
Baker added that Republic will start sending a status report to town staff early in the day, so the town can alert residents of any potential delays faster.
Also in the meeting, Inman read a proclamation declaring September 2026 Live United Month and presented it to two representatives.
“We proudly join the United Way of Denton County in calling all residents of the town of Providence Village to give to one to impact many as we take action to create a future where everyone has a chance to thrive,” Inman read.
Caleb F. Davis spoke during the public comment and requested the Flock cameras within the neighborhood be removed because of the cost as well as privacy and security concerns.
“The city of Denton's police department covers its entire city, including its highest crime corridors, with only 10 Flock cameras,” Davis said. “Our one neighborhood has four times that many.”
