GALVESTON — Galveston City Council will hold the first of three public hearings on next year’s proposed budget and tax rate today.

The proposed rate is the same as this year’s — 49.4 cent per $100 assessed value.

Next year’s effective rate — the amount it would take to raise the same revenue the city brought in this year — is 48 cents. The rollback rate, which would trigger voters’ ability to petition for an election to reduce the tax rate, is 53.7 cents.

Although the tax rate is not expected to go up, many tax bills will, thanks to increasing property values.

The average appraisal value has increased 4.1 percent this year, meaning the owner of a $100,000 home will pay on average about $16.32 more in city taxes this year.

The city budget includes $81 million in expenditures for the next fiscal year, a 7 percent increase over last year.

The new expenditures are all that’s allowed by the city’s charter, which restricts the council to a 7 percent spending hike each year.

Next year’s biggest single item expense increase — $1.7 million — will go to raises for police officers. The raises are part of the city’s collective bargaining negotiations with the police association.

Most officers received a 3 percent raise, but officers in their first three years of employment got a 20 percent raise on average.

The police department’s budget is $17.4 million. The fire department has a $9.5 million budget, which includes 3 percent raises that total $360,000.

Public safety expenses make up the largest portion of the city’s general fund budget, 67 percent.

Civilian employees also got a 3 percent raise, which is expected to cost $290,000.

The city council will hold its second tax rate and budget hearing Sept. 10 and vote on both Sept. 13.

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At A Glance

WHAT: City council tax rate hearing

WHEN: 5:30 p.m. today

WHERE: City hall, 823 Rosenberg