City Manager Celebrates One Year By Looking Ahead

Wills Point City Manager Jim Stephens celebrated a one-year anniversary with city employees on Monday. The milestone is made more significant by the fact that the city employed three city managers over the previous 12 months.

"I think we’ve made significant progress in a number of areas, but I don’t think I can take credit for it," Stephens said.

"A lot of the things we’ve accomplished were already underway, and a lot of the credit goes to the management of the department heads."

A major area of improvement for the city, as reported by Mike Conway of Conway and Company CPAs at the city council meeting on Tuesday, is the financial standing of the city. Conway gave a report to the council regarding the annual audit that concluded showed a bottom line improvement in the city’s finances of approximately $600,000.

Among the other accomplishments noted by Stephens over the past year was updating and codification of city ordinances, building codes and employee policies procedures.

Some of those ordinances were implemented to improve the city’s appearance, and Stephens intends to see continued improvements in that area.

"The spring cleanup was a big success, and our Keep Wills Point Beautiful committee is doing a good job. The resale shop is doing well," he said, adding that citizens will see more evidence of the committee’s efforts in the next year.

Sales tax revenues have increased, and Stephens plans to continue the "Shop Wills Point First," campaign. The present fiscal year has seen a 7.17 percent increase in sales tax over the previous year.

Since October 1, the city has spent approximately $50,000 on local street repairs. Improvements in curbing, gutter, drainage and street surfaces have been made on various streets, such as S. 5th from Highway 80 to O’Neal; W. James from Wills to 5th St.; High St., the Wynne addition, Gibbard, Spears, Hillside and Burnet. These improvements were performed with tax dollars, and were not part of any FEMA funds that have been received.

All improvements to Lester Park were also completed, and trust funds for maintenance of the park are being received.

One of Stephens’ original goals was to improve communication with the citizens of Wills Point, and cites the more than 6,000 hits on the city’s website in the short time it has been up and running.

In the coming year, Stephens has the YMCA at the top of the list of priorities.

"We have not been financially able to get that off the ground," Stephens said. "But that remains as one of our goals."

Other goals for the coming year include continued improvements to the city’s infrastructure, and to implement a multi-year plan for the water and wastewater funds to be self-supporting.

Stephens will also continue to make a priority of promoting a positive environment for economic development, and pursuing recreational and tourism opportunities.