City council would need to approve a property tax next month for it to appear on November’s ballot.

Stafford City Council could ask voters to approve a property tax rate of roughly 30 cents per $100 of home valuation.

Stafford has not had a property tax for nearly 30 years, but some local leaders said it's needed to fund city services. While council members have been discussing a property tax since last year, they discussed the specifics of a proposed rate for the first time Wednesday night.

Under the proposed rate, a homeowner under 65 would pay about $600 in property taxes annually for a house valued at $250,000.

The tax would bring in roughly $14 million to help fund Stafford's police and fire departments, which make up about half of the city's budget.

Currently, the city relies on sales tax to fund its operations.

"At this point in the history of our city, sales tax revenue is insufficient to cover the expenses – the existing expenditures – of this city government," councilmember Tim Wood said at Wednesday's meeting.

Council member Xavier Herrera said he doesn't want a property tax but believes one is now needed. He expressed concerns about how natural disasters could impact the city, citing the impacts of Beryl, a Category 1 hurricane.

"We get hit with a (Category) 3 or 4, that's game over. Our contingency fund is pretty low," he said.

Still, others, like Mayor Ken Mathew, expressed resistance to a property tax. According to the Fort Bend Star, Mathew campaigned on a no-property tax platform and has continually opposed such a measure.

"Government is known for waste," Mathew said. "Those who are managing the government, the money is not coming from their pocket."

Assistant Police Chief Kelly Wright pushed back against the mayor. Last year, the city had a $2.6 million deficit and the mayor has had to freeze hiring for positions to balance the budget.

"What's not a scare tactic is the officers' safety. When you have minimum officers on the street, which we have right now, it's officer safety," Kelly said.

City council needs to vote to put a property tax on the ballot by August 19. At least five of the seven council members would need to vote in favor of the measure.