CITY OF BRENHAM HOLDS BUDGET TOWN HALL

  

City of Brenham officials provided a general overview of the proposed tax rate and budget for the new fiscal year at a town hall meeting Wednesday.

Three members of the general public attended the meeting at the Nancy Carol Roberts Memorial Library.  The meeting covered driving factors for how the budget is structured, what projects are funded by this year’s budget, changes to utility rates and new personnel positions.

City Manager James Fisher said the city shaped this year’s budget by answering one question in particular: how does it continue to prepare for growth?

 

The $75 million budget factors in a tax rate of $0.4940 cents per $100 valuation, one cent cheaper than last year’s rate.  The rate includes a 4-cent reduction to the debt service (I&S) portion of the rate and a 3-cent increase to the maintenance and operations (M&O) portion of the rate.

Some notable projects funded in the new budget include the replacement of runway lights at the Brenham Municipal Airport, improvements at the intersection of Highway 290 and Chappell Hill Street, the first phase of facility improvements at Brenham City Hall, the purchase of heavy street equipment and a new fire truck.

Previously proposed utility rate changes have been adjusted and will come before the city council next week.  Factoring in proposed rate increases for water, gas and electricity, along with an unchanged wastewater rate, the average residential customer would see an overall monthly bill increase of $8.10, or 7.28 percent.  The previously proposed increases would have led to an extra $14.83, or 13.33 percent, on the average resident’s utility bill.

Water rate increases are being used to fund debt service incurred for repairs of the raw water intake structure at Lake Somerville.  Fisher explained that the city had to move forward with repairing the structure after waiting to hear back from FEMA on if it would fund the project.  He said if FEMA comes through at a later date and awards funding for the project, then the city will consider coming to council to potentially lower rates.  According to Assistant City Manager of Public Services and Utilities Donald Reese, the repair project is between 90 and 95 percent complete.

The budget accounts for 10 new personnel positions city-wide, including five of eight general fund positions that were initially requested by the city.  Three of the positions were frozen from last year.  Those positions include a building inspector, maintenance technician, assistant parks superintendent, parks coordinator, assistant director of public works, IT technician, apprentice lineman, gas technician and plant operator trainee.  A new school resource officer is also being added, but that position is being funded by Brenham ISD.  The addition of three firefighters is on hold pending the recruitment of a new fire chief.  The total budget impact of new personnel salaries and benefits is $653,311.  All full-time employees will receive a 2 percent raise for cost-of-living adjustment.

A second town hall meeting will be held at the library on August 24^th at 6 p.m.