Humble city officials are proposing raises of up to 11% for police officers and other public safety and utility personnel in the FY 2026-27 budget, even as the city plans to lower its property tax rate for the coming year. Most other city employees would see raises between 4.5% and 6%, while the tax rate would drop from $0.258171 to $0.245682 per $100 valuation.
The Humble City Council reviewed the proposed budget on August 6, according to Community Impact. Under the plan, all full-time employees would receive a 3% cost-of-living increase, and most would be eligible for an additional performance-based raise of up to 3%. Public safety and utility personnel are slated for total increases between 9.5% and 11%, with some public safety operational positions eligible for further raise opportunities down the line. The new raises are expected to cost the city roughly $1.8 million.
City Manager Jason Stuebe said the FY 2026-27 budget demonstrates the city's strong financial position and balances service demands with available resources, per the same report. Stuebe prioritized city employees in the proposed spending plan, and Mayor Norman Funderburk said the proposed budget meets community needs and stated priorities.
Why Police Pay Is Getting Special Attention
The outsized raises for police officers follow a stretch of turmoil inside the Humble Police Department. An internal survey made public in December 2025 found that roughly 30 officers had left the department over a three-year period out of a workforce of about 95, with departing officers citing concerns over morale and administrative practices, according to Click2Houston.
That turnover coincided with leadership upheaval at the top of the department. Then-Police Chief Dan Zientek resigned in February amid an independent third-party investigation into police department management and operations, after which Stuebe appointed 20-year department veteran Kris Battenfield as interim chief, as reported by FOX 26 Houston. Hoodline previously reported that Zientek had been placed on leave amid scrutiny over roughly $60,000 in training expenses before his departure.
The department saw further disruption in March, when Police Captain Twyla Kimberlin retired amid an internal investigation into department travel spending. City records showed Kimberlin had logged nearly $40,000 in travel and training expenses over two fiscal years; she had been promoted twice in 2025 before being placed on administrative leave, Click2Houston reported.
How a Lower Tax Rate Pays for Higher Raises
Despite the new spending, Humble's proposed tax rate would fall to $0.245682 per $100 valuation, down from $0.258171 in the prior fiscal year, which had been based on $3.259 billion in certified taxable property value and raised $8.39 million in revenue, per the city's operating budget records. Officials project the general fund will bring in roughly $44.6 million in new revenue against about $43.4 million in expenditures.
The math works in part because property taxes make up a relatively small slice of Humble's revenue. According to the City of Humble's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, sales and use taxes historically generate 33% to 38% of total governmental revenues, while ad valorem property taxes generate only 12% to 13%. The city's daytime population swells to between 50,000 and 136,000 thanks to commercial nodes like Deerbrook Mall and proximity to George Bush Intercontinental Airport, far exceeding its resident population of roughly 14,000 to 15,000, according to city economic profile data cited by JBL Asset Management.
Humble also carries zero property tax-backed bond debt, meaning 100% of its ad valorem property tax collections go directly to maintenance and operational expenses rather than debt service, per the city's budget transmittal documents. Even with the lower rate, the median taxable home value in Humble rose from $117,579 in FY 2025-26 to $125,231 in FY 2026-27, and estimated tax bills on that median home are projected to rise from $303.55 to $307.67, an increase of $4.12, according to Community Impact's reporting. For comparison, homeowners in Humble face a combined total property tax rate of approximately 1.98%, with the Humble Independent School District accounting for the majority at $1.1052 per $100 valuation, as Hoodline reported when it covered Humble ISD's own pay raises earlier this year.
Infrastructure and Equipment Investments
Beyond salaries, the proposed budget includes roughly $1.6 million in public safety investments covering new vehicles, drones, radios and additional equipment, the city manager's office indicated. It also sets aside about $7.7 million for water and wastewater improvements, including waterline extensions, facility generators, and repair and replacement of existing systems.
Road and drainage work makes up another major piece of the plan, with around $12.7 million allocated for road and drainage improvements, including widening projects on South Houston Avenue, Meek Road and Manning Road, per Community Impact. Humble also serves as a local funding partner alongside the Harris County Flood Control District and five regional municipal utility districts on the San Jacinto River Authority's Spring Creek Siting Study, which is evaluating dry-bottom flood mitigation dams along Walnut Creek and Birch Creek, according to the river authority's approved budget documents.
City officials said the next scheduled salary survey, analysis and adjustments will take place in FY 2028-29. The Humble City Council will hold a public hearing before considering final approval of the FY 2026-27 budget at its September 10 meeting.
