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