Loading...
Minutes August 10, 200134,6' CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES August 10, 2001 After determining that a quorum was present and convening in an Open Meeting, the City Council convened in a Special Called Meeting on Friday, August 10, 2001 at 8:30 a.m. in the City of Denton Council Work Session Room. PRESENT: Mayor Brock; Mayor Pro Tem Beasley; Council Members Burroughs, Fulton, McNeill, and Phillips. ABSENT: Council Member Redmon 1. The Council received a report, held a discussion and gave staff direction regarding the 2001-2002 operating budget and the 2002-2006 Capital Improvement Program. Kathy DuBose, Assistant City Manager for Finance, presented an update on the 2000-2001 Capital Improvement Program for General Government. If Council were to go from a three to a five CIP year program, one cent on the tax rate could be realized that would require cuts in the budget of $336,700 to make up the difference. Council had asked for different options regarding the budget. The County had included $30,000 in their budget for Teen Court. If that were to happen, the City's cost would go to $24,000 and save $16,000. Sales tax came in at budget this month. Council Member Redmon joined the meeting. DuBose detailed a handout that indicated the cuts that would have to be made in order to make up the $336,700 with a one-cent tax decrease from the proposed budget. To continue acceleration of the CIP Program and reduce the proposed rate by the 2 cents, other items in the operations budget could be cut. She presented a handout that indicated debt service payments on CIP projects that could be saved. City Manger Conduff stated that there were four alternatives for Council to consider: Alternative One - take the CIP back to a five-year program that would save one cent on the tax rate. Alternative Two - delay the CIP to five years and consider the proposed operational cuts for a two-cent savings. Alternative Three - keep the CIP Program at the three-year time period and consider the proposed operational cuts for a one-cent cut savings. Alternative Four - keep the CIP Program at the three-year time period with the two cuts in operations and debt service payments for a two-cent budget cut. Council' Member McNeill felt that the citizens would like transportation issues accelerated and suggested perhaps delaying the other portions of the CIP. Council Member Burroughs felt that there should not be any slow down of the transportation items. All transportation on the CIP should stay on the accelerated plan except for the items delayed by TxDot. City of Denton City Council Minutes August 10, 2001 Page 2 34 7 Consensus of Council was to agree with that concept. City Manager Conduffrecapped what was presented to Council. Staffwas recommending no tax increase in the general fund and a two-cent increase associated with acceleration of CIP projects. If the bond projects proceeded as they were originally adopted, one of the two-cent tax increase could be eliminated. If Council wanted to do more than the one-cent, Council would have to consider the more difficult issues of compensation and program issue cuts for the two cents Council Member Burroughs was comfortable with the two cents for the CIP projects but could consider the one-cent reduction. Council Member McNeill suggested presenting two proposals at the public heating. He was not willing to go with both sets of cuts and would like to see a combination of the two. He was in favor of a one-cent tax rate increase instead of two cents Council Member Phillips stated that he was not in favor of advancement of the CIP portions that did not deal with transportation. He was not interested in the advancement of the CIP for parks. Mayor Pro Tem Beasley stated that she supported advancing the CIP program. She felt the improvements to the parks were needed, as they were an economic development tool. She wanted to keep the one-cent for the CIP programs. She could support a reduction of the one-cent and identify projects to find the other one-cent. She did not want to reduce compensation but rather find the one-cent with the other identified projects. Council Member McNeill suggested going forward with the acceleration of the transportation projects and have a normal rate on the other projects. Consensus was to not accelerate the items below the "aquatic center" on the presented chart. Items to be cut for the one cent would include the non-transportation CIP projects, teen court savings from the County participation, sales tax, animal control truck, council contingency, personnel recruitment, imaging, and the jailer position. Mayor Brock stated that there would be two options presented for the public hearing. One would be the original budget as proposed and one with only a one-cent increase. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:50 a.m. Jl~lq~I~Et~ WALTERS CI~Y SECRETARY CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS EULINE BROCK, MAYOR CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS