Tinkering still happening as more workshops planned
City
The city of Sulphur Springs is in ongoing workshops to develop their 2020 budget, which may reach over $30 million, with a session last week on Aug. 6 and an upcoming session at 5:30 p.m. Aug 13.
The budget, first presented to city council at the Aug. 6 session, outlined total expected revenue for the city at approximately $10.5 million, to be used for a 1.25% cost of living increase for city employees as well as an increase to fire and police department budgets.
In the 2020 budget, the fire department will get an increase of $248,428 to pay for the new position of fire chief, as well as paying for shift change staffing issues, finance director Lesa Smith said.
At the June 3 regular session of the city council, all council members except Freddie Taylor voted to split the singular role of public safety director into two roles, fire chief and police chief.
The 2020 budget also allows for a $44,819 increase in the budget for the police department for shift change staffing issues, Smith said.
The city plans to keep the property tax rate the same, Smith said, at 44 cents per $100.
City data shows that of collected property tax dollars, 50% goes to public safety, while 15% goes to transportation, 14% goes to “general government,” 11% goes to culture and recreation, and 10% goes to debt repayment.
Rates the city are proposing to increase, however, are water, sewer and sanitation rates.
The city would like to increase water rates by 3% to help fund the cost of living adjustments for employees and to upgrade the caustic feed system, which will cost between $250,000 to $300,000, the city estimates.
The city also wants to increase sewer rates by 2% to help pay for cost of living adjustments for employees and to repair the Cantex lift station pump, through which a third of the city’s sewage flows, according to city manager Marc Maxwell. This repair may cost as much as $150,000, the city estimates.
The proposed increase to sanitation is 1.5%, which is due to contracts with the sanitation companies that allow them to adjust the rates they charge the city every October, according to Smith.
Some other parts of the budget are not final, though, Smith says. For example, the budget will now have to take out an expenditure of nearly $200,000 budgeted to buy new police vehicles. During the Aug. 6 regular meeting of the city council, the council passed a measure to lease vehicles instead, which Smith estimates will save approximately $200,000 up front with additional cost saved later in maintenance and fuel.
City budget workshops are open to the public and anyone can attend, according to city secretary Gale Roberts.