By Scott Harvey
Commerce – A split Commerce City Council Tuesday night approved the budget and tax rate, by a 3-2 vote. Mayor Quay Throgmorton and Councilman Douglas Rohrabaugh were against both items.
The FY 2010-2011 budget is to be funded by a property tax rate of .82 per $100 valuation, an increase of six cents from last year. The budget allows for a $700 pay raise for all city employees; a measure Mayor Throgmorton does not agree with.
He feels other options should have been addressed, perhaps staff cuts. Throgmorton notes that while the citizens will be taxed more, they won't see improvements such as major road repairs, as it has not been budgeted for.
"We're going in the wrong direction," Throgmorton said.
He referenced a Quality of Life Survey conducted earlier this year by the City and Texas A&M University-Commerce, which produced the top concerns/desires of citizens. The number one item was streets.
Throgmorton says a lack of growth will continue if few improvements are made, comparing Commerce to other area cities such as Greenville, who's property tax rate has decreased since last year due to things like positive growth.
Councilwoman Sue Davis feels a street indexing project, also approved Tuesday, will make an impact on street repair.
"Hopefully we can do more than just say we're going to pay for a street index but then put in on the back burner and not do anything," Davis said. "I really think we're working toward some progress on the streets."
In conjunction with the City's recent drainage study, the street indexing program would determine priorities and direction for future street repair projects. Interim City Manager Marc Clayton said Tuesday he'd received three bids on the project so far.
Council has also elected not to fill its vacant city manager's position this fiscal year. Marc Clayton has been serving as Interim City Manager since the resignation of Dion Miller in April.
Earlier this month, council voted 3-2 to increase Clayton's salary by five percent in the form of a stipend. Throgmorton and Rohrahaugh voted against the item.
Sue Davis says the move, coupled with City's change in health coverage for employees, helps save the City nearly $100,000 this fiscal year and allows for a budget surplus.
Meanwhile, A&M-Commerce is experiencing their highest enrollment in school history, with 10,400 students as of late August; a good sign for the City.
The City has also recently approved conditional use permits for a new business downtown, plus the construction of new apartments along Monroe Street.