NEWS
Infrastructure needs dominate Bowie budget workshop
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Bowie City Councilors learned Monday night there are limited ways to increase budget revenue to help fund badly needed infrastructure as they reviewed and debated the budget draft for 2023-24.
All the council members attended with the exception of Jason Love. It was an opportunity for councilors to ask questions about budget requests and needs. The workshop lasted two hours.
Overall budget expenses are offered at $21,805,000 for the utility and general fund. Finance Director Pamela Woods presented the draft last week noting this is about $600,000 above last year’s budget. The draft does not include new debt service or vehicle lease details for the new year, but uses the prior year’s amounts as the figures are finalized.
The budget includes a 3-5% salary increase that would be administered by the department heads to their staffs based on merit pay policy. Health insurance is expecting a 12% raise and property liability and worker’s compensation will go up 15%, and those figures are being finalized. The city also is awaiting the arrival of certified property values in mid-July to put a final projection for ad valorem taxes.
On the revenue side there will be a rate increase for sewer rates which was part of an overall rate plan connected to repayment of the Texas Water Development Board $9.7 million loan for replacing 10 miles of sewer line. For base residential the rate will go from $23.90 to $24.86 the per 1,000-gallon rate above base will go from $4.16 to $4.33.
New employees will include those who staff summer recreation as the parks department tries to revitalize that program with 10 part-time workers. Previously it was stopped due to a lack of staffing. The fire department has asked for three new workers and one part-time person.
In finance, it has been sharing a worker with water, but has asked to make that person full-time. The police department also reflects the two new school resource officers that were added mid-year. The legislature has now mandated security officers at various levels based on district size.
There were questions about funds for improvements, additional staffing and how they were going to pay for some major infrastructure projects.
Read the full story on the workshop in the mid-week Bowie News.
NEWS
Amon Carter Lake Board to meet
Members of the Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation will meet at 6 p.m. on May 26 in the office at 607A Lindsey for a monthly meeting.
Items on the agenda include a consent agenda and minutes and financials. Possible discussion/action may be considered on the following topics: Treasurer’s report, review of finance and current loans; president’s report as to the written agreements with contractual employees; consider current water rates and a possible increase; and review of expenses and areas that need amendment.
An executive session may be entered to discuss personnel issues.
NEWS
Saint Jo City Council hires fire marshal
The City of Saint Jo has a new fire marshal as the city council made the appointment during its May 13 meeting.
Gary Hines, a retired professional firefighter and certified fire investigator, will take the position. City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the post is required by ordinance but has not been filled for a long period.
The council set dates for a budget workshop for 2 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 28 for the ordinance workshop, as the council works to update its rules.
Aldermen gave their support to a proposition by Councilman Jack Dunn who is asking the Legislature to allow Texas’ smallest cities, those with 2,500 or few in population, to receive an additional share of sales and use tax. He would like to see the funds used in these communities to repair and replace aging infrastructure without new taxes or reliance on state grants.
In letter to State Rep. David Spiller, whom Dunn will meet with on June 1, the alderman explains much of the state’s 6.25% share generated locally flows into general funds and is spent on other priorities. He would like Spiller to author this legislation. Dunn gave the letter to the council along with a powerpoint on the plan.
“A single water treatment plant upgrade or sewer rehab carries massive, fixed costs that do not shrink with population size. These communities, often with only a few hundred or a couple thousands residents, simply cannot spread those costs across enough ratepayers or a broad tax based,” the letter states.
Dunn suggests a “graduated sales tax retention policy:” 1% additional share for cities with 2,500 or fewer residents; .75% for those 2,500 and 5,000; and .50% for cities between 5,001 and 10,000. It would be dedicated to infrastructure. Dunn says the overall statewide fiscal impact would be negligible, but could help sustain small, rural cities.
NEWS
City of Nocona buys water storage tank, review dam repair
The Nocona City Council approved a bid for a new 203,000 gallon capacity tank for potable water at the water plant and learned a slide repair to the lake dam is going to be pretty costly.
At its May 12 session the council received three bids on the tank and went with one from Tank Depot of Cleburne for $193,923. It is for a a 217,600 gallon tank usable for 203,000 gallons. The price could change slightly since it was based on estimate freight costs.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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