The public is invited to attend town hall meetings set for August 25 and September 1 on the City of Arlington's proposed $471.8 million Fiscal Year 2017 operating budget

Proposals for next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, include significant investments in public safety and technology as well as the first year of a three-year plan to make city employee salaries and benefits more competitive with area north Texas cities.

Here are some of the highlights:

• $9 million to go toward increased employee pay and pension benefits
• $2.4 million to implement a police officer body camera program
• $628,000 for a new fire truck
• $600,000 to match a federal grant that helped add 15 new police officers last year
• $640,000 in additional funds for records management and equipment
• $2.7 million in additional funding planned for software upgrades, laptops for fire trucks and 9-1-1 hardware and software maintenance
• An additional $380,000 for the upkeep of new park assets, such as the planned Rush Creek Dog Park
• $193,000 to enhance the Bad Knigshofen Family Aquatic Center's filtration system
• $100,000 for the Neighborhood Matching Grant Program
• $100,000 to support local arts organizations
• An additional $2.7 million for street maintenance
• An additional $50,000 for street light maintenance

Click here for more information on the proposed Fiscal Year 2017 budget.

Town Hall Meeting #1

• 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, August 25
• Arlington Municipal Airport, 5000 South Collins Street

Town Hall Meeting #2

• 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, September 1
• Arlington Convention Center, Salon A, 1200 Ballpark Way