09/02/1997-CC-Minutes-Work SessionMINUTES:
City Council Workshop
September 2, 1997
]PRESENT: Mayor John Coker, Councilman Tommy Kincaid, Councilwoman Alice
Madden, Councilman Jimmy Frazier, Councilman Jerry Jenkins
ABSENT: Councilman Mike James
OTHERS
PRESENT: City Administrator Larry Keesler, City Secretary Rosalie Chavez
1. Mayor Coker Called the Meeting to Order.
2. Discuss Fiscal Year Budget 1997-1998.
City Administrator addressed Council in regards to property tax rate. He discussed
different rates and effects on revenue collections.
Discussed.
Councilman Jenkins indicated he would like the tax rate to stay at .4725 in lieu of
raising taxes.
Councilman Frazier asked what effect would the .4725 tax rate have on the budget
and what kuad of surplus does this allow in the budget.
City Administrator indicated that after last week's budget workshop he changed the
budget contingency from $$7,000 to $62,000 which would allow a S % increase in
salaries to all employees. He cut $2,500 from the Fire Department's budget for
radios and added the $1.00 to the commercial sanitation rate.
Mr. Keesler indicated he budgeted the water tower at 5 year payout and $15,000 to
be expensed in this proposed budget.
Councilman Jenkins and Coiaricilinan. Kincaid indicated that in prior years the City
did not have any kind of surplus. Councilinan Kincaid indicated this .has had an
effect on the ratings the City has received on Bond issuance; however, in the past the
decision of Council was to raise utility rates to offset property tax increases.
Councilman Kincaid also indicated that a tax rate increase will have to be considered
in future due to the fact that if .the. City continues to grow the City will have to
prepare for the growth.
Discussed.
Councilman Frazier indicated that he was glad that Council was addressing the
possibility of raising utility deposits.
Consensus of Council to leave the tax rate at the .4725.
Discussed was that employees in the Electric Department would get the 5 % on top
of the 6-mouth probation.
Councilman Jenkins indicated the S% should be applied to all departments.
Councilman Jenkins indicated that there were certain departments who had
requested special increases be "allocated" in the budget for certain employees. He
indicated that he does not want to see these increases be sneaked into the budget
unless it was agreed to be done so by Council in the budget. Councilman Jenkins
referred to the requests made for Julie (Court Clerk) and some of the girl's in Rose's
department.
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09/02/97
City Secretary advised that she felt the 5 % increase would help her employees not
only by increasing morale but by making them feel good about their job.
Councilman Jenkins discussed the lack of response City Hall gives in regards to
complaints the office receives concerning sanitation service.
Mayor Coker advised he has received the same complaints from other customers.
City Secretary advised she would speak with her staff and make sure all complaints
are handled through the front office.
Mayor Coker also inquired as to whether the Police Department makes up work
orders when they drive around town and as they see problems which need to be
taken care of. Mayor Coker also inquired if the Police Department knows what the
Code of Ordinances indicates in regards to ordinance violations.
Mayor Coker indicated that maybe the City Administrator and City Secretary
needed to get with the Police Department and go over that part of the Code of
Ordinances.
Another issue addressed was that the Police Officers are patrolling the Interstate
again, when they have been instructed in the past not to do so. Council instructed
City Administrator to take care of this problem.
3. Adjourned.
ATTEST:
Chavez, City
W. poker III, Mayor