City Council
Regular MeetingOdessa, TX · September 17, 2025
Minutes
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
CITY OF ODESSA, TEXAS
September 17, 2025
On September 17, 2025, a meeting of the Odessa City Council was held at 5:32 p.m. in the
Council Chambers, 5th floor, City Hall, 411 W. 8th St., Odessa, Texas.
City Council present: Mayor Benard C. Hendrick; Council members: Craig Stoker, At-Large;
Eddie Mitchell, District One; Steven P. Thompson, District Two; Greg Connell, District Four;
and Chris Hanie, District Five.
City Council absent: Council member Gilbert Vasquez, District Three.
Staff present: David Vela, City Manager; Norma Aguilar, City Secretary; Keith Stretcher,
Interim City Attorney; and other members of City staff.
A quorum being present, Mayor Hendrick called the meeting to order, and the following
proceedings were held:
Public Hearing
Open a public hearing on tax increase for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. Jeff Russell reviewed
all the entities that were having a tax increase and reported on the total number impacted on
the taxpayers. He stated it was significantly more money than the prior year and the local
budgets have exploded. He asked to think about the total impact and lessen the tax burden.
Kris Crow stated that with the passing of Senate Bill 1851 and the City’s last completed
audit was for fiscal year 2022, the City would be in violation of state law. He asked to delay
adopting a tax rate above the No-New-Revenue Rate until the audit was filed. Dallas
Kennedy supported the new tax rate. He stated to get the audits done and fund the City.
Mr. Stretcher reviewed Senate Bill 1851, Texas Government Code, Section 311.022
prospective operation of statutes, and Attorney General Opinion A-0596. He explained that
the Senate Bill was prospective for future acts and not retroactive. Beginning September 1,
2025, there would be a penalty with the audits not being done by April 3, 2026. He
explained that there was no Attorney General or State authority opinion on Senate Bill 1851.
The law applied to future acts. Mayor Hendrick stated that it was not retroactive. No one
else came forward and the public hearing was closed.
Ordinance
Levying the tax for the 2025 tax year and Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026. Kaylie Banda,
Director of Finance, stated that the City would levy the tax for the 2025 tax year by adopting
a tax rate of $0.470700 cents per $100 property valuation for municipal
maintenance/operations and debt service for fiscal year 2025-2026. The FY 2026 Proposed
Tax Rate was 0.470700. The FY 2026 No-New Revenue Tax Rate was 0.443537. The FY
2026 Voter-Approval Tax Rate was 0.4707001. The FY 2025 Current Tax Rate was
0.466275. The 2026 total taxable value for Odessa was $13,140,215,143.
Council Minutes
September 17, 2025
Page 2
Motion was made by Council member Thompson by stating I would make a motion that we
accept the proposed rate of .470700 cents per $100, propose that rate to be adopted. We
adopt the rate as presented. Council member Mitchell seconded the motion. The motion
was approved by the following vote:
Eddie Mitchell Aye
Steven P. Thompson Aye
Gilbert Vasquez Absent
Greg Connell Aye
Chris Hanie Aye
Raymon C. Stoker IV Aye
Benard Calvin Hendrick VII Aye
Motion was made by Council member Hanie and seconded by Council member Connell to
adjourn the meeting. The motion was approved by the following vote:
Aye: Hendrick, Stoker, Mitchell, Thompson, Connell, and Hanie
Nay: None
The meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Norma Aguilar, TRMC, CMC Benard Calvin Hendrick VII
City Secretary Mayor
Agenda
PUBLIC NOTICE
In accordance with the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Government
Code of Texas, notice is hereby given to all interested persons that the City Council
of the City of Odessa, Texas will meet on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at
5:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 5th Floor, City Hall, 411 West 8th Street,
Odessa, Texas for the following purposes:
See attached agenda
This Notice is being posted on the south door of City Hall and on the bulletin
board of the first floor of City Hall, Odessa, Texas, this the _____ day of
September, 2025 at _______ ___.m., said time being at least three business days
prior to the time at which the subject meeting will be convened and called to order.
City Council Meetings are available to all persons regardless of disability.
Individuals with disabilities who require special assistance should contact the City
Secretary's Office at 432/335-3276, or 411 West 8th Street, First Floor, Odessa,
Texas, during normal business hours at least twenty-four hours (24) in advance of
the meeting.
Norma Aguilar, TRMC, CMC
City Secretary
CITY COUNCIL
Cal Hendrick Eddie Mitchell, District 1
Mayor Steven Thompson, District 2
Gilbert Vasquez, District 3
Greg Connell, District 4
David Vela Chris Hanie, District 5
City Manager Craig Stoker, At-Large
City Council Meeting Agenda
City Hall, 411 W. 8th St.
City Council Chambers – Fifth Floor
September 17, 2025
5:30 p.m.
1. Call to order Mayor Hendrick
2. Open a public hearing on tax increase for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. Kaylie Banda
3. Consider levying the tax for the 2025 tax year and fiscal year 2025-2026 Kaylie Banda
(Ordinance – first approval)
4. Adjourn.
COURTESY RULES
Thank you for your presence. The City Council appreciates your interest in Odessa City Government.
PLEASE SILENCE OR TURN OFF ALL MOBILE DEVICES.
If you wish to address the Council, obtain a speaker’s card just inside the Council Chambers, complete the
information requested on the card and deliver to the City Secretary before the meeting or as soon as you can.
Speakers will be heard as the individual item(s) in which they have registered an interest come before the
Council.
Your remarks will be to three minutes. Consideration will also be given to the number of people wanting to
speak on a particular item. PLEASE GIVE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. Delay or interruption of the
proceedings will not be tolerated.
ASSISTANCE
Please call (432) 335-3276 if you need assistance with interpretation or translation for this meeting.
Si usted necesita ayuda con la interpretación o traducción de cualquier material en este sitio o en una reunión
pública de la Ciudad de Odessa por favor llame al (432) 335-3276.
The City of Odessa wants to ensure that City Council Meetings are accessible to persons with disabilities.
If any individual needs special assistance or accommodations in order to attend a City Council meeting, please
contact the City Secretary’s Office at (432) 335-3276, in advance so accommodations can be made.
CITY OF ODESSA
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Meeting Date Contact Department Fiscal Impact?
9/17/2025 Kaylie Banda Finance No
Work Session? Contacted Legal? Item Type
No Yes Regular Hearing,
CAPTION
Open a Public Hearing on Tax Increase for Fiscal Year 2025-2026
SUMMARY
A tax rate of $0.470700 per $100 valuation has been proposed by the governing body of City of
Odessa.
Proposed Tax Rate- $0.470700
No-New-Revenue Tax Rate- $0.443537 per $100
Voter-Approval Tax Rate- $0.470701 per $100
The no-new-revenue tax rate is the tax rate for the 2025 tax year that will raise the same amount of
property tax revenue for City of Odessa from the same properties in both the 2024 tax year and the
2025
tax year.
The voter-approval tax rate is the highest tax rate that City of Odessa may adopt without holding an
election to seek voter approval of the rate.
The proposed tax rate is greater than the no-new-revenue tax rate. This means that City of Odessa
is
proposing to increase property taxes for the 2025 tax year.
Tax Code Chapter 26. Assessment Section 26.06 requires that the public hearing on the tax
increase may
not be of held before the fifth day after the date the notice of the public hearing is given. As required
the
notice of the public hearing was published in the Odessa American on Wednesday, September 10,
2025
well as on the home page of the City of Odessa website. It has been posted since the date the
notice was
given and will remain until the public hearing has concluded. The posted notice was on the City's
website
continuously for at least seven days immediately before the public hearing and at least seven days
before
the vote proposing the increase in the tax rate.
According to the Tax Code, the City Council may vote on the proposed tax rate at the public hearing.
A
meeting to vote on the tax increase may not be held later than the seventh day after the date of the
public
hearing.
The proposed tax rate is not greater than the voter-approval tax rate. As a result, City of Odessa is
not
required to hold an election at which voters may accept or reject the proposed tax rate. However,
community members may express their support for or opposition to the proposed tax rate during the
public
hearing.
BLURB
The City Council will hold a public hearing on the tax increase.
Comments/Other Departments, Boards, Commissions or Agencies
Supporting Documents
notice of public hearing on Tax Increase FY 2026.pdf,
CITY OF ODESSA
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Meeting Date Contact Department Fiscal Impact?
9/17/2025 Kaylie Banda Finance No
Work Session? Contacted Legal? Item Type
No Yes Regular Ordinance,
CAPTION
Consider levying the tax for the 2025 tax year and fiscal year 2025-2026 (First Approval).
SUMMARY
The City Council will levy the tax for the 2025 tax year by adopting a tax rate of $0.470700 cents
per $100 property valuation for municipal maintenance/operations and debt service for fiscal year
2025-2026. The proposed tax rate will be higher than last year.
FY 2026 Proposed Tax Rate: 0.470700
FY 2026 No-New Revenue Tax Rate: 0.443537
FY 2026 Voter-Approval Tax Rate: 0.4707001
FY 2025Current Tax Rate: 0.466275
The 2026 total taxable value for Odessa is 13,140,215,143. This is an increase of 9.3% as
compared to
the 2025 total taxable value of $12,025,018,380.
BLURB
City Council will levy the tax for the 2025 tax year and fiscal year 2025-2026. This will be the first
approval
of the levy.
Comments/Other Departments, Boards, Commissions or Agencies
Supporting Documents
ORDINANCE IN PROGRESS.pdf,
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