ccsbs 08-07-1990
x
290
\
\
\
SPECIAL SESSION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
AUGUST 7, 1990
The Schertz City Council convened in Special Budget Workshop
Session, Tuesday, August 7, 1990 at 7:36 p.m. in the Conference
Room of the Municipal Complex, 1400 Schertz Parkway, Schertz,
Texas, with all members present.
#1 BUDGET WORKSHOP: Mayor Sawyer informed the Council that
the budget workshop would stop at 10: 00 p. m. as requested by
Council.
Mr. Sweatt suggested that after some general observations,
Council start with the revenues, then deal with the expenditure
pages. He said he has filed the recommended budget with the City
Secretary, per Charter requirement, that includes Water - Waste
Water and SAFES for the year 1991. This budget is based on a tax
rate of 35.84 cents. Using the $273,000,000 assessed value,
under the terms of the Uniform Truth in Taxation Legislation, the
effective rate would be 33.32 cents per $100 value. A 3%
increase would bring that tax rate to 34.32 cents per $100 or the
Rollback rate to 36.59 cents per $100 value. This budget
recommendation includes the recommendation of the tax rate at
35.84 cents per $100 value, which is a 4.01 cent increase per
$100 value. Under the formula required by the Truth in Taxation
Legislation, the 33.32 cents Effective Tax Rate would raise the
same amount as was raised last year. The 1990 General Fund
expenditure recommendations are approximately 7.7% over the 1989-
90 mid-year budget. Comparing this to the 1989-90 original
budget, that is only a 2.93% increase. There are substantial
assessed values in contest so we will not actually have an
assessed final report until well into our tax year. We believe
the $273,000,000 to represent an attainable and correct number,
and after the hearings that may increase.
Included in the recommendation for revenue items, in addition to
the tax rate increase, there are al so other items of increase
proposed. We proposed an increase in swimming pool gate charges
from $0.50 to $1.00. We have begun the process to solicit grants
from different foundations for Economic Development activities.
We have anticipated in the revenue estimates, the full effect of
last year's change in the telecommunications tax and cable
franchise Charge. We have anticipated an increase in the overall
sales tax this year - approximately 2.5% increase. We propose an
increase to recognize the actual costs of chipping service. We
current I y charge $10 per thirty minutes and propose that be
increased to $20.50 per thirty minutes, which will recognize
both manpower and equipment costs. In the Water and Waste Water
Operations, we are recommending implementing - no later than
November - the full effect of the proposed rate increase that
was discussed at bond time. That is an increase of fifty cents
in base rate and ten cents per thousand in the overall water
rate. This recognizes the water and waste water portion of the
debt service. The single largest new item in this year's budget,
291
is the recommendation to begin a three to four year lease-
purchase proqram to update data processinq services for all of
the using departments. Some of our departments are extremely out
of date, both in hardware and software. Many departments are
functioning with little more than manual record keeping. We
bel ieve the addition of data processing services for all the
operating departments and tying them together into a logical
system is absol utel y imperative. We will try to work smarter,
rather than hiring more people to accommodate increased demands.
In non-departmental expenditures in the General Fund, we are
recognizing the increasing debt service for the General Fund
portion of the bonds. There is a proposed creation of an
Equipment Service Department that is a division within the
Water/Waste Water operating budget. There will be the addition
of one full-time person in that department. We are recommending
the addition of part-time personnel in the Economic Development
Department, the Building Maintenance Department, Finance office
and the Library Department. We have included in Council packet
the list of the bonds, recognizing both the existing debt and the
additional debt that was alluded to before.
We have included in the budget the revised table of organization
that reflects those changes that are in the budget, along with
the manning document shown on the table of organization with the
service grade. Along with the Personnel portion of this year's
budget is the second of a two-year program to bring the employees
service grade salaries into line as discussed last year. At the
end of this year, everyone will be in their proper steps in the
pay plan. The budget further continues a program that was begun
last year of a recognition of longevity for employees at the rate
of $2.00 per month per year of service.
Mr. Baldwin asked about the changes in the manning document. Mr.
Sweatt pointed out that there is an additional part-time person
in the Library Department, a part-time person that was recognized
at mid-year but is new to the manning document in the City
Manager's office for the finance clerk, there is a part-time in
Economic Development shown as an Administrative Assistanti
there is a part-time custodial help in the Municipal Building
Department. There is a proposed reclassification in the Pol ice
Department. There is no proposed change in numbers in the
department but the creation of a Lieutenant position and the
establishment of the Juvenile Officer as a Sergeant rather than a
Corporal. There is a change in the Street/Parks Department with
the new classification of Worker III but no change in the number
of employees.
Mrs. Marsh questioned the Municipal Court fine revenues and Mr.
Sweatt said considerable time was spent on this issue and it
appears that these figures are realistic.
Mr. Baldwin said that he personally would prefer, if he is going
to pay for police service, to see the patrols in the business
and residential neighborhoods at night.
\",
J\
292
Mrs. Marsh said she would rather see additional patrolmen than
the Lieutenant position. Mr. Potempa agreed with Mrs. Marsh.
Mr. Sweatt said it is not our intent to set up a dollar producing
goal. Out effort in the Municipal Court fines was to recognize
how much activity the courts will have this year.
The Council thorouqhly discussed the Police Department manninq
and patrols with Mr. Sweatt. Councilmembers asked how much it
would cost to add one patrol officer on the eveninq shifts. Mr.
Sweatt said it would take two patrolmen and one vehicle for a
weighted cost of about $38,000 per man. Council all aqreed that
they would like to add patrolmen to the force.
When discussing the Lieutenant position, Mr. Sweatt said the
purpose of creating that position was to reduce the Police
Chief's span of control so that he does have an executive
officer. We are not increasinq the number in the department but
taking a Sergeant and makinq him a Lieutenant and eliminating the
Corporal position and makinq him a Sergeant. The total net
effect of this change in classification is less than $2000 a year
for both the revisions. We believe that the establishment of the
Lieutenant position would <Jive Chief Agee an executive assistant
to provide some additional supervision in the department.
Current I y each of the Serqeants report direct I y to the Chief.
That is not a most desirable arrangement. We believe the role of
executive assistant justifies the rank of Lieutenant.
Mrs. Marsh asked for clarification of the County library funds,
General Fund Miscellaneous income and retirement reversion.
Mr. Sweatt said the County Library is the amount of money that is
paid from Guadalupe County to the City of Schertz for library
services that are offered outside the City limits. Last year it
was $21,000 and this year it is proposed at $37,000 to place the
two libraries (Schertz and Sequin) on the same per capita
formula.
Miscellaneous income - this includes reimbursements, anticipated
grants, sale of gasoline to Housing Authority, long distance
payments for use of public telephones. This is sort of a catch
all column.
Retirement Reversion is the City's portion that is due back from
our retirement system that are forfeited funds from those
employees that leave and are not vested in the retirement system.
Mr. Potempa asked why no funds are listed for vehicle
impoundment. Mr. Sweatt explained that currently the wrecker
service picks up and stores vehicles at our call. If they are
proposed to be released from impoundment, the owner pays the
impoundment fees directly to the wrecker yard. If the vehicles
are not redeemed by the owner, they are offered for public sale.
293
The impounding authority authorizes the charging of daily storage
fees. The yard bids on those vehicles for his storage fees. If
the vehicles were purchased for more than the storage fees, that
money would go to the City. Typically those impoundment fees and
storage fees eat up the value of the vehicle. The impoundment
dollars do not come to us.
Mayor Sawyer suggested going over the expenditure portion of the
budget page by pages instead of skipping around.
Mr. Sweatt explained that the left-hand column shows the figures
for the 1988-89 budget, the middle column shows the figures as
adopted as the mid-year 1989-90 budget and the right-hand column
is the proposed 1990-91 budget figures.
The first department is the City Council and that is budget
number 50. In the expenditure area, there are several
categor ies. The Personnel Services will always begin with the
zero series, suppl ies is the 100 series, Contractual Services
would be 200 series, Maintenance is 300 series and Capital Outlay
would be the 400 series. For example the number 50252 tells you
that is the City Council in the 200 series, which is Contractual
Services, and the number 52 is the specific item of Memberships
and Subscriptions. These same numbers appear throughout the
budget in all departments. This is the process we started last
year of the reorganization of the accounting system.
City Council budget totals $21,395, this includes the election
costs for $1,000 under operating suppliesi contractual services
incl ude four meetings a year for each member of the Council;
memberships projected for the Chamber of Commerce, Texas
Municipal League, the 135 Corridor Council, the Council of
Governments and miscellaneous memberships; conference/travel
expenses for the TML meetings i special events - the Mil i tary
Appreciation program, Senior Citizen Appreciation; publ ic
relations ads, Christmas lighting program and float improvements.
City Manager's Office - the 88-90 budget $317,687i 89-90 mid-year
budget $109,523 and the proposed 90-91 budget $121,888. The 88-
89 budget included a number of personnel that have since been
realigned to their own budget department. Mr. Sweatt explained
that the capital outlay figure is the purchase of a letter writer
for the secretary.
Municipal Court the 88-89 budget reflected only the
professional services, which was the judge and prosecutor; and it
now includes the total costs of the department of $43,218.
Mayor Sawyer called for a short recess at 8:44 p.m.
The Special Meeting was reconvened at 8:49 p.m.
Tax Department 88-89, $49,006; 89-90, $56,967 and 90-91,
$59,864. Personnel Services contain one full-time and one half-
\"
294
\
time person. Mr. Baldwin asked if there was any prov~s~on in
this budget to use the Appraisal District computer system. Mr.
Sweat said no, we have included in the data processinq budget
funds to finance data processinq services in the Tax office and
to connect to the Guadalupe County Appraisal District. Also have
anticipated some funds for software to do the billinq work in the
Tax office here. Rather than put data processing costs in each
department, we have put a lump sum item in this year's budget.
We have provided data processinq funds in the budqet to brinq the
Tax Office up with CRTs and necessary hardware and software that
will enable them to be part of the qeneral ledger accounting
system that receives across the counter. It also would allow us
to connect that equipment to interface with that of the Guadalupe
County Appraisal District so that we would have access directly
to their records as the school does now.
Planninq Department - proposed budget is for $72,780. The Other
Professional Services are basically enqineer costs for qeneral
engineerinq, surveyinq, plat review and those kinds of
enqineering costs that are not tied to anyone project. This
department has the same number of people - two.
Legal Department - proposed $27,300. We are not anticipating any
areas of litigation this year. This just represents the attorney
attendinq one meetinq a month and the general telephone services.
Police Department - the 88-89 budqet was $480,746; the 89-90
mid-year adjustment budqet was $599,456 and this proposed budget
is for $631,370. You will notice that there is increase of about
$10,000 in Workers Compensation alone. The increase in salary
line item is to brinq everyone up to the plan level as started
last year. Under Rental-equipment,that is the copy machine. As
pointed out, the maintenance aqreement was more than the new
lease-rental rate. Mr. Sweatt said we expect the total dollars
to go down in vehicle maintenance; but we will continue to bill
ourselves costs out of these kinds of maintenance accounts. The
Water Department will bill each individual department for their
pro-rata share of at least the time involved for that mechanic.
There will be no new purchases of police vehicles this year but
next year in our replacement proqram we will be replacinq two
vehicles. The item of Uniform/laundry includes the uniform
allowance for patrolmen. This does not include the dispatchers
uniforms. They decided on their own to purchase their own
uniforms and provide their own cleaninq. Council requested Mr.
Sweatt try to find the funds to allow for cleaninq allowance for
the dispatchers.
Fire Department - the 88-89 budqet was $133,503; the 89-90 mid-
year was $179,674 and the proposed 90-91 is $194,466.
Mr. Potempa suqqested that the bUildinq needs more maintenance
than the $300 budqeted. Durinq their tour, Council Members
notice several thinqs that they felt needed to be repaired.
Namely, water heater, the heater in the garaqe area, some
295
paneling that needs to be replaced, mop board is rotting away in
places and some ceiling tiles need to be replaced. Mr. Sweatt
said he would get estimated costs for some of the repairs
mentioned for Council consideration.
#2 ADJOURNMENT: Mayor Sawyer declared the meeting to be
adjourned at 9:44 p.m.
ATTEST:
\
\