Celina's Growth Shows No Signs of Stopping

The growth in Celina has no end in sight!! Celina's population is expected to eclipse 65,000 during fiscal year 2026 and surpass 100,000 by 2028, according to information presented during the Aug. 4 budget workshop. The city's population is projected to increase by 12,597 in fiscal 2026 to 67,232 and will reach 106,346 by fiscal year 2028-29. 

Celina's population has grown 223% since 2020, outpacing neighboring Prosper at 41% and Melissa at 80%. More people mean more housing, and the city is projecting 3,322 single-family permits in fiscal 2026. This is an increase from 2,841 during fiscal 2024-25. The city's total projected budget came in at $382.74 million, and its total taxable value is expected to grow to $10.32 billion from $8.04 billion in 2024.

According to the presentation, the proposed tax rate for 2025-26 is $0.576401 per $100 of valuation, which is a decrease from the current rate of $0.598168 per $100 of valuation. Under this proposal, the interest and sinking rate would remain $0.311473, but the maintenance and operation rate would fall to $0.264928 from $0.287061. The no-new revenue rate was estimated to be $0.559151 per $100 of valuation.

The budget for the Celina Police Department rose by $2.7 million, and the Celina Fire Department's budget rose by $3.5 million. The fire department reportedly added 12 new firefighters and one new assistant chief to prepare for the opening of Fire Station No. 4. Projections show sales tax is expected to rise 16.1% from fiscal 2025's $5.8 million to $6.73 million. The city council is scheduled to discuss budget changes and the tax rate during the Aug. 12 work session and will adopt the budget and tax rate during its Sept. 9 meeting.