MIDLOTHIAN – The Midlothian City Council was presented with a high-level overview of the proposed FY 2024-2025 Operating Budgets for the city’s General Fund and Utility Fund. The presentation was given by City Manager Chris Dick Tuesday night. The workshops for the upcoming fiscal year budget began this past Friday.
Dick explained, “We are looking to maintain our adequate fund balances and safeguard the city’s bond rating and stabilization if we do have an economic downturn. Our goal is to maintain infrastructure and service levels in this high-growth environment.”
Dick also told the council much of the critical assumptions are conservative, “so our finances remain strong, and we are looking to maintain the current tax rate of $.65.”
A few of the highlighted priorities included issuing a tax note for buildings, park improvements, equipment, and public safety improvements.
Dick said staff is looking again to fund roughly $2.6 million in road rehabilitation to maintain the safety of the city’s roads. He also mentioned salary adjustments for staff and new hires and increased staff to keep up with the demand of services.
There is also the future opening of the new city library and public safety building, “so our property tax base continues to flourish,” and he mentioned that the certified numbers for those estimates will be coming in later this week.
Dick said sales tax also continues to be strong with about a 16% increase over the budgeted amount from last year.
The projected budget overall is roughly 11% over last year’s budget, and Dick broke down the numbers by different categories for the council, noting there was a 5.6% increase in expenditures over last year’s budget too. He said the biggest category of expenditures is personnel.
Also mentioned was public works with a look at new and rebuilt sidewalks and overall maintenance being a substantial amount.
The Utility Fund will see roughly a 3% increase for the new fiscal year, with expenditures around 13%.
The second City Council Budget Workshop will be held on Tuesday, July 30 at 1pm. View the agenda at https://www.midlothian.tx.us/Archive.aspx?ADID=8303
View the proposed draft budget at https://www.midlothian.tx.us/…/FY-24-25-PROPOSED-BUDGET…
There will be several budget workshops between now and the regular city council meeting on August 13. At that meeting, Dick said there would be the actual proposal of the tax rate with the official vote to propose that rate. From there, two public hearings for the budget will be held, with the second public hearing in early September.
The seven consent agenda items passed 7 – 0. These items included the minutes from the City Council meeting of July 9, 2024; a resolution authorizing the Midlothian ISD Athletics Hall of Honor 5K and Fun Run on Saturday, September 28, 2024; a resolution authorizing Heritage Day to be held Saturday, October 12, 2024; the purchase of two 2024 Toyota RAV4s from Silsbee Toyota for no more than $68,035.50; the purchase and upfit from Silsbee Toyota of six 2024 Toyota Camrys, one 2023 F-150, and one 2025 Chevy Blazer from Caldwell Country Chevrolet. On this last item it was noted the vehicle upfitting will be completed by Dana Safety Supply in Fort Worth to include emergency lighting, siren, and radio for a purchase amount of no more than $301,844.05.
Also approved under the consent agenda was the purchase and upfit of seven 2024 Dodge Durangos from Carville Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram with upfitting by Dana Safety Supply in Fort Worth to include emergency lighting and associated equipment not to exceed $500,416.00 and excluding the purchase of a mobile radio, vehicle hotspot, graphics and in-car video system; and the lease purchase of six 2023 Dodge Chargers from Cameron Country Dodge through American National Leasing Company. This approval also included the acquisition of the vehicles and required emergency equipment excluding a mobile radio, vehicle hotspot, graphics, and in-car video system with the lease for the five vehicles to be in five annual payments of $75,339 and a $6.00 residual purchase for a total of $376,701.00.
On the regular agenda item 2024-261 passed 7 – 0 to award the city’s day-to-day banking services and primary payroll account contract to Wells Fargo Bank with a five-year contract.
Item 2024-262 was discussion only to review and discuss amending an ordinance establishing rules and regulations for electioneering at polling locations on city-owned property. Staff noted “Following reports of issues at the polling location at the Midlothian Conference Center during the last election cycle, amendments to the electioneering ordinance are proposed for discussion. The main amendment will be to designate specific areas for the setup of candidate canopies, tables, chairs, vehicles, etc.to allow better parking access for voters and customers of the facility.”
Item 2024-263 to consider and act upon authorizing the City Manager to negotiate and enter into an agreement with GraphTec Inc. for signage and wayfinding for the new City Hall and Library for a total not to exceed $141,154.20 was pulled from Tuesday night’s agenda.
Addendum item 2024-269 passed 7 – 0 to consider the act of a downtown subcommittee and appoint its members.
Midlothian Mayor Justin Coffman explained this item and said the subcommittee will be charged with identifying and helping prioritize the different things within the downtown masterplan and making recommendations to the city council. The committee will also be charged with communicating all things downtown back to the various boards and committees which they serve.
Coffman suggested himself as chair, along with Mayor Pro Tem Clark Wickliffe and Councilmember Place 3 Anna Hammonds. Other members Coffman suggested were Pat Ferrel from the Parks Board, Jan Davis from the Midlothian Community Development Corporation, Bill Burdette from the Economic Development Board, as well as members from the Midlothian Downtown Business Association and the Chamber of Commerce. The staff liaisons will be Dick and Assistant City Manager Clyde Melick.
While the item did pass 7 – 0, Place 5 councilmember Ross Weaver, who denoted himself as the contrarian, said the subcommittee list was both good and bad because he believed all the people on the list “has a vested interest in downtown.”
Coffman said he would combat that by saying a majority of the people on the subcommittee list he suggested “did not” have a vested interest, including himself.
