Heath Mayor Jeremiah McClure is taking the city's fiscal year priorities straight to residents through a new video series.

The City of Heath announced that McClure's "Fall Heath in Motion" series will cover the city's budget, projects and priorities for the months ahead. The first installment focuses on grants and donations the city has received to stretch tax dollars further.


The series arrives weeks after the Heath City Council unanimously adopted a $91.9 million budget for fiscal year 2026-27 at its Aug. 11 meeting, according to council minutes. That budget funds five new public safety officers, a parks and recreation coordinator, the 2027 Street Maintenance Program and water infrastructure improvements.

The council also set the city's property tax rate at $0.281436 per $100 of taxable assessed valuation. The motion described the rate as a 4.32% increase. Mayor Pro Tem Dodson noted the impact on a median-priced home would be about $120 per year.

City Manager Steven Alexander called the Aug. 11 vote the earliest budget adoption in the city's history.

Grants and donations in focus

The video series' first topic ties to actions the council took earlier this year. On Feb. 24, the council unanimously approved a resolution directing the city manager to apply for a $150,000 Rider Grant through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), according to meeting minutes. Assistant City Manager Chelsey Gordon told the council the city was awarded the grant through the General Appropriations Act of the 89th Texas Legislative Session.

Staff recommended two projects for the grant money: a donor garden and a restroom expansion and remodel, each estimated at $65,000 to $76,000. The Parks Board recommended both projects at its February 2026 meeting. Council Member Moorman thanked former state Rep. Justin Holland, calling the grant an example of state advocacy translating into local impact.

At the same Feb. 24 meeting, the council adopted a new donation and sponsorship policy. Gordon said the city did not previously have a formal donation policy despite accepting donations throughout the year, primarily for parks and recreation. Under the new policy, the city manager can accept donations under $50,000, while a Donation Advisory Committee handles gifts above that threshold.

Transparency push

McClure has signaled that public financial reporting is a priority. At the council's March 24 meeting, after receiving the city's quarterly financial report, he said "this type of reporting will be a standard moving forward, and we are headed in the right direction in Finance, and showing this level of transparency to the community is great."

The video series extends that approach beyond council chambers. The city posted the first video on its Facebook and X accounts. No schedule for future installments has been published.