City Council Looks At ‘Tight Budget’

The city council revisited the issue of recent hiring and wage freezes at the regular city council meeting held on Monday, October 8.

City manager Joe Grigsby addressed the council by describing the city’s budget as "extremely tight for the next three months."

"When we went through the recent budget workshops, we put a hiring and pay increase freeze in place," Grigsby said.

"I think staff is uncomfortable with the notion that if there is an unexpected expense, cash flow will not improve, and raises will not be given.

"October, November and December are the tightest months of the year for cash flow," Grigsby continued. "There are three pay periods in January, which will be an additional strain on the budget. In February, we have a $542,000 debt payment due."

"The next five months are pretty tough, but if we set a date of April 1 for raises, it would put staff’s mind at rest."

Councilman Scott Stevens then spoke in favor of rescinding the freezes, and giving raises immediately.

"We’re talking less than $4,000 a month," Stevens said. "We’ve got valuable people that support our city 24-7, and they deserve this. To not give them this raise would be a slap in the face."

"I want to give raises, too," Grigsby said, "But the check needs to clear."

Mayor Scott McGriff addressed the issue by saying, "You’re asking the city to write a check, then hope the money will be there. When these employees go to the bank, the check needs to clear. This city will not write a hot check."

Stevens expressed that he believed the checks would clear due to additional revenue from increased water bills. The council was reminded that restricted accounts had recently been unrestricted in order meet payroll, and that those accounts would have to be re-restricted in order to meet the debt payment in February.

Councilman Herbert Dunn took the discussion in a different direction by speaking to Grigsby’s handling of employee concerns.

"I’d like to say that if you feel there is dissension among the employees, you need to take care of that," Dunn told Grigsby. "You are the liaison between us and them, and I expect you to take care of that. If employees are in the dark about what is going on, I expect you to fix that and not let it linger.

"We meet once a month. You need to let them know what’s going on."

"I believe all of the department heads are here at this time," said McGriff.

"Some of them are hearing this for the first time," Dunn responded.

Reached for comment on the following Wednesday, McGriff said, "I was a little taken aback by councilman Dunn’s comment that department heads are hearing about budget and wage concerns for the first time. Those same department heads have attended workshops and meetings for the past three months, and have even been consulted."

Dunn could not be reached for comment.

Speaking to the budget issues during the meeting, councilman Randy Reagan said, "It bothers me that people would leave budget workshops and say we made a commitment (to raises). Commitments are not made until budgets are voted on and approved, not during workshops while we are working through the numbers."

Stevens said, "I’d like to make the raises a month to month issue, and not put them off until April."

Reagan agreed, but added, "I trust Mr. Grigsby to make the decision as to whether the city can afford those raises."

The council then voted to rescind the hiring and pay increase freezes, and also gave the city manager the discretion to decide when hires would be made, and raises given.

In other business, the council:

-heard from city attorney, Shaina Primeaux, who read a Resolution Concerning The City Of Wills Point’s Attitude Towards Any Form Of Racial, Gender Or Religious Discrimination Or Intolerance.

- heard public comment from a citizen regarding the increase in water bills for residents outside the city limits.

McGriff addressed the issue for the council by saying, "People who live outside the city limits use city services, such as fire and ambulance, but they don’t pay city taxes. The city needs to recoup some of those expenses."

Reagan added to that by saying, "Not all of that $20 is due to you living outside the city limits. Everyone has been charged an additional $9 to help pay for the new sewer plant."

Reagan continued by saying, "We went to other cities that are comparable to size and looked at what they’re charging, and we were a lot lower, especially for citizens outside the city limits. This was an attempt to make the water charges more equitable."

-heard a presentation form Jerry Tolbert, representing the Rotary Club, regarding a proposal that would allow the placement of 20 new, matching trash cans throughout the city.

The cans would be financed through the selling of ad space on three sides. The revenue would allow the cans to be placed at no charge to the city, and would provide fund raising revenue for the Rotary Club.

Doug Sims, a representative of Waste Management, who was present on another matter, said that his company could service 20 cans at no extra charge. The council approved the proposal.

-Dunn asked Mr. Sims to address reports that trash pickup had been late, as much as a day, in some neighborhoods in recent weeks. Sims reported that his company was changing service plans in the area, and the problem should be alleviated quickly.

-heard a presentation from city attorney, Shaina Primeaux, regarding annexation. Primeaux explained that Lester Park had not been officially annexed, and explained the process for annexation for the park, and for properties on Deen Rd.

The council voted to proceed with annexation of Lester Park, and recommended a workshop to discuss the annexation of properties on Deen Rd.

-Director of Public Works, Scott Drake, reported to the council that restoration on bathrooms and some of the lighting at South Park had been completed at a total cost of $2,368. Additional work on the light at the basketball courts would cost an estimated $800, and a contractor had been hired to repair a gate and fencing.

Drake also reported that brush pickup would continue for 3-4 weeks, and that after that time, citizens would be required to haul brush to an area adjacent to the new sewer plant. Drake also reported that dumpsters are available at the city barn for use by citizens, although exact availability times had not been set.

-Stevens addressed the assembly regarding recent increases in water and sewer rates, and the possibility of having a study done regarding usage rates.

"Charging citizens these rates who use very little water is unfair, and we need to try and help them," Stevens said. "There has to be a more equitable way of charging for water usage."

Councilman Reagan concurred with Stevens on the need to help citizens who use less water than others.

Grigsby informed the council of the possibility of hiring a rate consultant who would recalculate usage rates, but that their services cost in the range of $10,000-$20,000. The council took no action.

-The council held an executive session. No actions were taken on matters discussed in that session.