Aug 15, 2024 City Council Special Meeting

4:00. AT 3:23 P.M..

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:06]

AT 8:23 P.M..

NO. CALL THE ORDER.

NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

[3.A. “The City Council shall vote to consider a maximum ad valorem tax rate for the fiscal year 2024-2025. This vote is NOT to adopt a property tax rate; that vote will be scheduled for a later date. The vote to consider a maximum ad valorem rate is a statutory requirement, per Texas Tax Code §26.06, and is not a vote to consider adoption of a tax rate.”]

AND WE WILL CALL.

VOTE. AND THIS.

THIS WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE DISCUSSION, I ASSUME.

YES. OKAY.

SO WITH THAT.

SO WHAT I'M JUST GIVING YOU HERE IS JUST A COVER SHEET UPDATE, BECAUSE THE COVER SHEET YOU HAVE IN YOUR BOOK HAD ALL RIGHT BEFORE WE HAD THE FINAL RATE.

SO THIS TELLS YOU EXACTLY THE LEGAL LANGUAGE OF, YOU KNOW, THIS BUDGET IS GOING TO BE INCREASED BY, YOU KNOW, $900,000, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THIS TAX RATE.

SO I JUST WANT YOU TO HAVE THE UPDATED COPY FOR YOUR BOOK.

AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS JUST THE TAX RATE CALCULATION.

USUALLY IT GOES AS AN APPENDIX TO YOUR BUDGET ANYWAY, JUST SO YOU HAVE IT, YOU CAN PUT IT IN YOUR BOOK.

OKAY. SO JUST TO GO OVER THE CALENDAR REAL QUICK BEFORE WE ACTUALLY DO THE VOTE, I HAVE THE LEGAL LANGUAGE HERE AND WE'LL HAVE IT ON THE SCREEN AS WELL.

SO REMAINING MEETINGS AFTER TONIGHT ON THE COUNCIL MEETING NEXT WEEK.

WE DO HAVE A PLACEHOLDER JUST IF WE WANT TO REVISIT ANY DISCUSSION OR SAY, HEY, WE HAD A GREAT MEETING.

THIS IS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, CITIZENS.

AND HERE ARE SOME THINGS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ABOUT.

JUST KIND OF LISTING IT OUT.

SO IT'S JUST A PLACEHOLDER BRIEFING.

SEPTEMBER 3RD. THAT'S WHEN WE'LL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET.

AT THE REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 5TH, WE'RE GOING TO RECONVENE WORKSHOP TO FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS OR DIRECTION OR ANYTHING.

AND THEN ON THE SEPTEMBER 17TH, WE'LL HAVE THE BUDGET AND TAX RATE.

AND THEN WE'LL DO THE BUDGET ADOPTION AND THINGS.

THE COUNTY WILL HAVE TO FILE BY THEIR MOTHER RULE BY SEPTEMBER 18TH, 17TH.

SO IS THAT IS THAT ANYWHERE IN HERE? IT'S IN THE SLIDES THAT I GAVE YOU.

THE LAST SHEET. OKAY.

I DO BELIEVE I HAVE THE CALENDAR IN THERE THAT HAS IT ON HERE AS WELL.

IN THE APPENDIX SECTION OF THE BOOK.

OKAY. SO ALL FINE.

ALL RIGHT. SO AGAIN TALKING ABOUT THE RECORD, THIS IS NOT A VOTE FOR YOU TO ADOPT A TAX RATE.

THIS IS JUST A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT TO SAY THIS IS THE MAXIMUM RATE THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONSIDER.

AND THAT'S PER TEXAS TAX CODE 2606.

SO AGAIN, IT'S NOT A VOTE ON THE TAX RATE AS AN ADOPTION THAT WILL COME ON SEPTEMBER 17TH.

SO YOU HAVE FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF IF YOU WANT TO REDUCE THE RATE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.

THIS IS JUST YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO DO THE PUBLICATIONS, YOU KNOW, THE NOTICES AND SETTING THE HEARING AND ALL THAT STUFF.

SO THIS IS THE MOTION.

AND IF YOU WANT TO WRITE IN, YOU KNOW, THE TAX RATE HERE, THE MAXIMUM TAX RATE AND THE BLANK.

AND WHOEVER WANTS TO MAKE THAT MOTION.

WELL, BEFORE WE GO TO A MOTION, BECAUSE THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WE SLID OVER SO WE COULD BEFORE WE MAKE THE MOTION TO HAVE A DISCUSSION.

CORRECT. OKAY.

SO PART OF THAT DISCUSSION IS, WITHOUT GETTING INTO AN AREA THAT I SHOULDN'T GET INTO, I'M GOING TO JUST START BY SAYING THAT I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME TRUTH IN THE PAST, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST YEAR, THAT IT WAS AN ALL OR NOTHING.

WE GOT TO A POINT WHERE WE DIDN'T CONSIDER SOMETHING IN BETWEEN.

WE EITHER WENT TO THE HIGHEST RATE WE COULD GO WITHOUT GOING TO A VOTE OR SOMETHING AT THE BOTTOM END, BUT WE NEVER CONSIDERED WE NEVER DISCUSSED REASONS WHY WE MIGHT WANT TO JUST MEET HALFWAY.

NOW, WHEN WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, I REMEMBER BEING BROUGHT UP LAST YEAR.

THAT DISCUSSION MEANS THAT WE GOT TO GIVE UP MONEY FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

AND THAT'S THE HARD DISCUSSION, BECAUSE WE JUST WENT OVER HOURS OF EVERYTHING WE NEED, AND IT'S HARD TO PICK ONE THING AND SAY, WELL, MAYBE WE NEED TO NOT DO WITH THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO THE CITIZENS THAT WE DON'T AT LEAST DISCUSS THIS TO A POINT WHERE WE EITHER AGREE BY CONSENSUS BEFORE WE GO FORWARD WITH THIS TO, TO A VOTE THAT THERE THAT THERE'S NOT A REASON TO THINK ABOUT AN IN-BETWEEN NUMBER.

YOU KNOW, WE CAN GO TO THE TOP END WITHOUT GOING TO A VOTE.

THEN YOU GOT THE BOTTOM END, WHICH YOU MOST CITIZENS WOULD WANT.

BUT WE KNOW WE NEED TO GET AS MUCH AS WE CAN GET TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING WE WANT TO DO, BUT WE SLIP AWAY FROM HAVING THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT, WELL, WHAT IF WE DROPPED IT DOWN A BIT? WHY DO WE HAVE TO GO TO THE TOP? I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THAT MAY BE LISTENING RIGHT NOW AND THAT THAT HAVE THOUGHT THESE THINGS OUT AND COMMENTED IN THE PAST, BUT IT ALWAYS SEEMS A RUSH TO GET TO THE TOP.

I DON'T KNOW. I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT'S JUST TO GET IT OVER WITH, BUT WE NEVER LOOKED EVEN MORE CLOSELY.

[00:05:02]

WE'VE GOT A LOT OF EXPENSES THAT WE WANT TO USE TO HELP ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT BENEFIT BY THESE, THESE MONIES THAT WE APPROVE THROUGH THE TAXES.

THE TAX RATE.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT TOUGHER DISCUSSION ABOUT, WELL, IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN DO WITHOUT TO TRY TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A TAX BREAK THAN THE HIGHEST RATE? SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE SAY TAXES HAVE GONE DOWN IN THE PAST, THEY HAVE BEEN AND I THINK THE TAX RATE, THE TAX RATE VALUES.

YEAH. BUT BUT AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HEADED THIS YEAR.

BUT BUT CITIZEN SAID LAST YEAR WAS BUT IT COULD EVEN GO LOWER.

OKAY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THE TOP AUTOMATICALLY.

BUT IF YOU WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY THEIR WISH LIST IT'S AUTOMATIC.

WELL THEN LET'S GO TO THE TOP.

SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT FOOD FOR THOUGHT BEFORE WE MAKE A DECISION THAT IF THERE'S ANYBODY WANTING TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT ANYTHING LESS THAN GOING TO THE TOP.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY REMEMBERS WE HAVE THAT OPTION, AND IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE SOMETIMES TO GO THERE, BUT GO AHEAD.

I, I CAN APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT BECAUSE IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, LAST YEAR I HAD THOSE QUESTIONS, AND WAS PRETTY MUCH JUST NULL AND VOID.

WE HAVE TO GO WITH THE HIGHEST TAX RATE.

IT'S NOT THAT I'M INTERESTED IN NOT DOING EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED.

IT'S JUST I WANT US TO CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS BECAUSE OF THE BURDEN ONTO THE CITIZENS.

AND SO IN OTHER WORDS, I LIKE THE IDEA OF CONSIDERING AN IN BETWEEN WHERE IT'S NOT THE NO NEW REVENUE, BUT WHAT IF WE SHOULD GO AND DO SOMETHING IN BETWEEN THE TWO? AND I THINK, JENNIFER, LAST YEAR YOU KIND OF PAINTED A SCENARIO SHOWING US THAT THE DIFFERENT LEVELS AND THE IMPACT THAT WE HAVE ACTUAL NUMBERS.

AND THEN THAT HAS TO BE TRANSLATED INTO, WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO GIVE UP? THAT'S THE TOUGH DECISION FOR US.

SO DO WE HAVE ANYTHING EVEN CLOSE TO THAT READY THIS YEAR? NOT FOR TONIGHT. BUT LET ME JUST REITERATE AGAIN, THIS DOES NOT BIND YOU TO THE RATE.

THIS IS JUST AS IT SETS, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLICATIONS AND EVERYTHING.

BUT I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AS WELL.

SO THERE'S THERE'S GOING TO BE A PERCEPTION OUT THERE.

AND IT'S NOT ONE VOICE.

IT'S MORE THAN ONE THAT WHATEVER WE DO TONIGHT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE IT.

AND SO I REALIZED IT WOULD EXTEND THIS MEETING AND I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT, BUT I WOULD I THINK IF WE IF WE VERBALIZE THAT, THAT THIS IS NOT A ROCK SOLID DECISION TONIGHT BECAUSE IT ISN'T, BUT AT A, AT ANOTHER MEETING WHERE WE STILL HAVE TIME, IF THERE'S A WILLINGNESS BY A CONSENSUS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, TO LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE TOUGHER DECISIONS TO SCALE BACK, PERHAPS BY THEN YOU COULD HAVE INFORMATION SHOWING US WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, SO WE COULD SEE IF SOMETHING'S GOT TO GET CUT.

WHAT THAT MIGHT BE.

I MEAN, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO EVERYBODY OR ANYBODY? GO AHEAD. JEREMY. YEAH.

SO YOU KNOW, I WAS ONE OF THE ONE OF THE ONES WHO ASKED FOR DETAILS, RIGHT? AND TYPICALLY, IF I'M ASKED, WHY CAN'T Y'ALL GO TO A LOWER RATE? AND THEN THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS, OKAY, SO WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT CAN WHAT DO WE NEED TO GET RID OF? WHAT CAN WE GET RID OF? AND YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT YOU KNOW, THE DETAILED DOCUMENT THAT WAS SENT PRIOR TO THAT WENT THROUGH THIS, THIS DOCUMENT, THE BUDGET, PROPOSED BUDGET. AND LIKE CITY MANAGER SAID EARLIER, I MEAN, I COULD GET RID OF A BOX OF PENCILS HERE AND THERE, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I'M THINKING, WELL, OKAY WHICH POSITIONS CAN BE CUT? AND, AND AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT IN A POSITION TO REALLY SAY, OKAY, WELL, WE REALLY DON'T NEED THIS PART TIME STAFF AT THE REC CENTER.

WE REALLY DON'T NEED THIS STAFF MEMBER AT THE LIBRARY.

I'M NOT. AND SO THAT'S A QUESTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ANSWER WITH, BECAUSE WHEN WE ASKED JENNIFER, WE ASKED STAFF TO COME BACK WITH COME BACK TO US WITH THESE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.

THEN WE'RE ALSO KIND OF ASKING THEM TO COME BACK TO US WITH OKAY, OPTIONS FOR CUTS, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T JUST BRING US BACK NUMBERS, LOWER NUMBERS.

RIGHT. WELL THAT'S RIGHT.

I MEAN, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING IT'S CUTS.

YEAH. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT OPTIONS THEN WE IN THIS I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RESPONSE TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, BUT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT OKAY WHERE SHOULD WE MAKE THE CUTS.

WELL HERE'S WHAT I WOULD OFFER TO THAT END BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.

IS THAT BRINGING THIS UP TONIGHT?

[00:10:01]

BUT IT'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT BETWEEN WHATEVER WE DO TONIGHT AND THE NEXT TIME WE MEET, BECAUSE WE'LL STILL HAVE TIME.

IF SOMEBODY SEES SOMETHING OR WE GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT SHOWS US THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CUT TO GET THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT, AT LEAST WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

AND IF WE DECIDE TO LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS, WE'RE GOING TO DECIDE TO LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION RIGHT NOW.

AND TRUST ME WHEN I TELL YOU I'M NOT TRYING TO HEAD TOWARDS CUTTING ANYBODY'S POSITION PART TIME OR NOT.

THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.

I'M JUST LOOKING AT FROM A PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE.

WE OWE IT TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING, TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE WAS PRESENTED TONIGHT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED.

AND THAT'S THE DIFFICULT PART OF THIS DISCUSSION IS, IS EXAMINING THOSE THINGS.

AND WE MAY COME OUT OF THAT SAYING WE NEED EVERYTHING, BUT IF WE DON'T AT LEAST THINK ABOUT IT, WE DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT.

IF NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING, I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE THAT THOUGHT, BECAUSE LAST YEAR THERE WERE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT SAID, Y'ALL JUST LOCKED IN AND DIDN'T CARE, YOU KNOW? AND BESIDES A FEW OTHER ALLEGATIONS, IT WAS A IT WAS A TOUGH IT WAS A TOUGH MOMENT.

WE GOT THE BUDGET VERY LATE.

I THINK WE JUST WANTED TO GET IT DONE WITH IN LARGE PART.

AND WE DID. SO THIS TIME WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.

WE'VE GOT SOME TIME.

SO IF THAT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT ANYBODY WANTS TO BRING UP IN OUR NEXT SESSION, THAT, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS.

IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.

AND WE WE MAY BE LOCKED INTO THIS RATE, WHICH IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, AND IT MAY BE THE BEST THING.

IT MAY ABSOLUTELY BE THE BEST THING, BUT WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT OR BEEN CHALLENGED BY STAFF TO TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE THEIR JOB IS TO BRING US WHAT THEY NEED. IT'S THEIR WISH LIST.

IT'S THEIR WANT LIST.

AND IT MAY BE TO THEM AND IT MAY BE THIS MAY BE VERY REAL.

WE HAVE TO DO ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT.

I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT BECAUSE IT'S A NEED LIST AS WELL TOO.

YEAH. YEAH. AND I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T WANT TO DIMINISH THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT AS WELL.

SO BECAUSE EACH YOU KNOW, AND I'M SAYING THIS EACH TIME WE'RE GETTING THE CITY GOVERNMENTS ARE HAVING TO BE MORE AND MORE REGULATED.

THEY'RE HAVING TO DO THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS AND THIS ADDITIONAL.

SO WE'RE NOT GETTING HELP FROM THE STATE NOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS IN TERMS OF TRYING TO OPERATE A CITY GOVERNMENT.

AND SO WE DO HAVE THE THAT AND AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IF WE DO DECIDE TO GO TO A LOWER RATE, IT'S GOING TO FALL ON OPERATIONS TO REALLY FIGURE OUT WHERE THE CUT IS NOT SO GOOD.

WELL, WE WOULD WANT WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ALONG WITH THEM.

WE WOULDN'T WANT TO JUST PUT IT BACK ON THEM HERE.

WE'RE GOING TO CUT IT. NOW YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU GOT TO GET RID OF.

I THINK WE GOT TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY IN THAT CONVERSATION TO PARTNER WITH THEM IF IT GOES THAT WAY.

AND AGAIN, MY PURPOSE TONIGHT ISN'T TO ENCOURAGE ANYBODY TO GO THAT WAY.

IT'S JUST TO REMEMBER THAT THAT'S NOT A DISCUSSION THAT'S HAD VERY OFTEN, PROBABLY IN THE LAST 5 OR 6 YEARS, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SO MANY NEEDS, AND THIS YEAR MAY NOT BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER, MAYBE EVEN MORE DEMANDING OF THE NEEDS.

SO. BUT I JUST WANT TO LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN FOR THE CONVERSATION.

AND IF IT'S JUST DECIDED, COME UP WITH A NUMBER TONIGHT AND I'M SURE IT'LL BE A GOOD NUMBER THAT THAT SUITS OUR NEEDS.

AND THEN BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT MEETING, IF ANYBODY'S GOT ANY INPUT TO SEE AN AREA TO CHANGE TO LOWER IT, SOME WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.

AND THEN IT'S GOING TO TAKE FOR PEOPLE TO DECIDE THAT, THAT THEY THINK THAT CHANGE IS GOOD CHANGE.

SO YES, SIR.

AND WE STILL HAVE THE TERMS TO CONSIDER TOO.

AND THAT MIGHT BE AN IMPACT WHICH COULD CHANGE THINGS QUITE A BIT.

SO I'LL LEAVE ALL THE OPTIONS ON THE TABLE.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

SO, MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION.

OKAY. MOTION TO APPROVE A MAXIMUM TAX RATE OF 0.614834.

TO BE CONSIDERED FISCAL YEAR 2024 2025 AND ESTABLISH A PUBLIC HEARING DATE FOR SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2024, AND THE TAX RATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 2025.

THIS VOTE AND RATE IS NOT TO ADOPT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE, BUT IS A MAXIMUM RATE WHICH IS REQUIRED BY THE TEXAS TAX CODE TO BE CONSIDERED.

ACTUAL TAX RATE WILL BE ESTABLISHED AFTER PUBLIC HEARING AND VOTE OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

STAFF IS INSTRUCTED TO SCHEDULE AND PUBLISH THE REQUIRED NOTICES UNDER THE TEXAS TAX CODE.

SECOND A MOTION.

SECOND. MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER MCBURNETT.

SECOND BY COUNCILMAN KOONTZ.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MR.. YES, SIR.

WHAT I WOULD OFFER IS I'LL WORK WITH FINANCE.

AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE, PRIOR TO YOUR SEPTEMBER 5TH BUDGET WORKSHOP, WE CAN BRING BACK WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT THAT

[00:15:10]

LET'S MAKE SURE WE HAVE.

I BROUGHT UP THE THOUGHT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A CONSENSUS BEFORE YOU GO THROUGH THAT.

SO WE'VE GOT WE'VE GOT THREE HEADS SHAKEN FOR FIVE.

OKAY. SO. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.

IT'LL BE SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT AND AND MAKE THE BEST DECISION.

SO. THANK YOU. ROLL CALL.

OKAY. I'M SORRY.

WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.

COUNCIL MEMBER. GOOD.

COUNCIL MEMBER. FOR FOR FOR.

THANK YOU. OH, SORRY.

THANK YOU. SOUNDS GOOD.

GOT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL.

OKAY. SO THAT'S THAT'S OUR BUSINESS, RIGHT? WE'RE FINISHED WITH THE ROLL CALL.

VOTE ON THESE THREE.

SO NOW WE WILL.

I DON'T NEED A CONSENSUS FOR THIS FOR SURE.

WE WILL ADJOURN AT 8:39 P.M..

THAT'S.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.