budget

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor •

 Burnet County commissioners have proposed a budget of $36.87 million for the upcoming fiscal year.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

A preliminary 2018-19 Burnet County general fund budget would see an increase of just under $1.6 million in expenditures, but those expenses would be offset by taxes and revenues generated by new construction within Burnet County, County Auditor Karen Hardin said.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

The city of Marble Falls is right on track financially with half of the fiscal year completed, Finance Director Margie Cardenas told City Council members Tuesday night.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Burnet County commissioners could be excused for believing County Auditor Karen Hardin has a crystal ball which helps her accurately predict the county's fiscal needs.

Hardin told the Commissioners Court at their March 27 meeting that county general fund revenues should come in at about $31,000 more than what was projected for fiscal year 2018 — a difference of a miniscule 0.15 percent.

“It is very difficult to get that close, though we try to do it every year, and we usually end up within 2 to 3 percent of what we have budgeted,” Hardin said.

Some of the additional revenue is coming from increases in septic tank and flood plain permits being issued as well as increased motor vehicle registration collections.

Hardin said due to Senate Bill 1913, she also budgeted an expected reduction of $330,000 in fines and fees and it appears the numbers will be close to that amount.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Cottonwood Shores City Council threw their support into opposition to a gravel and concrete crusher operation in South Burnet County but again set aside a contentious debate in a meeting Oct. 5.

The council was in accord Sept. 21 when members approved the proposed property tax rate of $0.5438 per $100 valuation. That will be divided 33.21 cents for maintenance and operation (M&0) and 21.17 cents for the interest and sinking fund (I&S).

Also approved in that meeting was the 2017-2018 budget--$898,728 in general fund expenditures and $837,686 in utility fund expenditures—totaling $1,736,414.

The council has been divided over the need for an ordinance banning the feeding of deer and has looked at program proposed as an alternative that would educate residents on the need. That was set aside Sept. 21 and did not reappear on the agenda of the first meeting in October.

By Phil Reynolds

The Highlander

Llano County commissioners adjusted the proposed 2018 budget downward by $1,748 before finally approving it, but only after no one showed up at a Monday, Sept. 11, hearing on the budget.

The action sets the county’s budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. It’s $574,042 more than the budget set for this year, an increase of of nearly 3.9 percent.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Burnet County commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the same tax rate the county had last year — 0.3969, or 39.69 cents per $100 valuation — at their regular meeting at the Burnet County Courthouse on Tuesdy, Sept. 12.

Commissioners also voted unanimously to adopt a $37,634,576 budget for fiscal year 2018. The budget includes a last-minute increase of $1,400 for Veterans Service Officer Bill Worley after commissioners voted unanimously to increase his contractual pay from $13,000 to $14,400.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Public hearings Tuesday, Aug. 15, unveiled a final proposed budget based on a tax rate slightly lower than the effective rate and including proposed utility fee increases lower than anticipated for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 in the City of Marble Falls.

Finance Director Margie Cardenas presented a budget for programs and services of $32 million with general fund expenditures of $10.404 million.

According to the council decision Aug. 1, Cardenas and her staff based the budget on an ad valorem tax rate of .6340, or 63.4 cents per $100,000, lower than the current rate of .6483. Nonetheless, the rate will apply to a certified tax valuation that has risen about eight percent to $726 million for an increase.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Granite Shoals City Council has faced a challenging year of unknowns surrounding costs of road repair, but another issue fanning the flames of financial woes has been rising fire department costs.

At their meeting Tuesday, Aug. 8, it was clear council members and staff consider a new stream of financial support from surrounding communities the only remedy.

Granite Shoals Fire Rescue provides fire protection for the adjacent City of Highland Haven and the large, outlying rural communities of Burnet County Emergency Service District #3 (ESD3), each looking at the end of a contract for services that ends Sept. 30.

“My view is, they need to pay their fair share,” said City Manager Ken Nickel, looking specifically at ESD3. “They collect 7.5 cents per $100,000 valuation from their property owners. They have a fund balance of $400,000.