The Bellaire City Council convened on August 11, 2025, for a public hearing regarding the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2026, followed by a budget workshop. All council members were present, confirming a quorum for the meeting.

The public hearing was initiated with a reading of the notice, which outlined the purpose of the session: to gather written and oral comments on the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2025, and ending September 30, 2026. The proposed budget, filed with the city clerk's office on July 18, 2025, is available for public review at the city clerk's office, the Bellaire library, and on the city’s website.

Key details of the proposed budget include an estimated increase in property taxes of $378,700, representing a 1.53% rise compared to the previous year. However, the exact amount of additional revenue from new properties remains undetermined due to the current availability of taxable value information from the Harris County appraisal district.

City Manager Sharon Sedina provided a summary of the public hearing procedures, which included a brief presentation on the budget, limited to 15 minutes. Following the presentation, the mayor would recognize speakers who had signed up to provide comments, with each individual allotted five minutes to speak. Written comments submitted prior to the hearing would also be summarized by Mayor Pappas after the oral comments.

The council was informed that final deliberation on the proposed budget is scheduled for September 15, 2025. The mayor encouraged attendees to focus their comments on the budget, noting that those wishing to discuss other topics should consider attending the next council meeting on August 18.

The meeting transitioned into public comments, with four individuals signed up to speak. The council expressed openness to additional comments from the audience, emphasizing the importance of community input in the budget process.