The Sundown City Council had their regular meeting earlier this month to go over a few items, and addressed their budget for the next fiscal year.
A budget workshop was held for the council to begin considering a tax rate along with various changes in the budget.
City Manager Billy Hernandez presented the No-New Revenue Rate, or the rate required to raise the same amount of revenue as the last fiscal year, at $0.606917.
The Voter-Approval Rate, or the highest the city could adopt without forcing an election, was presented at $0.734416.
Hernandez had arranged the preliminary budget based on the current tax rate of $0.71281, but said that some trimming would need to be done to get the budget balanced with the No-New Revenue Rate, though that would come with the loss of certain projects to upkeep city maintenance. Thos projects included a new sign and parking lot rehab for city hall.
Council debated the rates stating that they understood citizens would like to keep a low tax rate, but with inflation being what it is, the same amount of revenue as last fiscal year would not go as far this year.
Estimates for property value went up roughly 17% in the area, meaning the same rate as last year would generate larger amount of funds, allowing the city to perform more maintenance, as well as other projects around town. Eventually it was proposed that the same tax rate be carried over to the next fiscal year, a public hearing will be held at a later date.
Another library update was given to council as to their progress on their large scale renovations. HVAC systems, flooring, as well as new windows and doors are going to begin installation in the coming weeks, and it was teased that another grant was in the works to help fund another portion of renovations. This project began several months ago with the city’s purchase of a large church in town to give the library more space, as well as a space for citizens to gather for various meetings, research, or other activities.
The Police Department has had steady activity for the last month, as they continue to set up and streamline their operations. Still in the process of cycling out old vehicles. Three vehicles were recently sold, two to Denver City Police Department, and one to Plains ISD, who Chief Foster explained are trying to start up a new department. They also received a donation of six car seats that they will be looking to distribute among families in need throughout the community.
A project that required city staff attention was a gas leak within the city. Receiving calls from a service provider warning of a spike in gas usage, the city set out to find the source of a potential leak.
The leaking meter eventually was found behind a residence, and had been leaking for approx. 12 hours by the time staff corrected the issue. After some investigation it was discovered that a nearby resident had a firearm malfunction, causing a stray round to damage the gas line.
The council deliberated on a proposal from the company Sabinol, which owns much of the land surrounding the city. Mostly retained for oil drilling, the company boasts an area of 61 acres, but had a segment of roughly three acres it was willing to part with, as it could be utilized for housing.
The council expressed great interest in not only that land, but any land that Sabinol would part with, as they wish to see the city grow and expand. Negotiations are still handled with the company, but Hernandez was given permission to offer a set amount of funds for the land.