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Volume 50, Number 20
2013
Page 7A
$1 Springtown, Texas 76082
Back to School
Students disembark and head to classes on the first day of school, Aug. 26.
Photo by Chris Agee
School board approves budget, tax rate 2013-14 taxes virtually unchanged compared to prior year By CHrIS AGEE
Following the first day of school for students across the area, the Springtown ISD Board of Trustees met to discuss the upcoming year’s budget. District business manager Gary Shaw led a public hearing during which he explained the process of establishing a tax rate sufficient to fund a litany of education-related expenses.
Shayna Johnson was recognized at a recent SISD school board meeting for her first place performance at last month’s Texas FFA rodeo. Her win in the goat tying competition qualifies her for a scholarship.
The bulk of expenditures in the general fund – and the budget overall – goes toward instruction, Shaw said. Approximately $14 million is budgeted for teacher pay and instructional materials. That number represents more than half of the general fund’s $25 million budget. In addition to the general fund, Shaw detailed the budgeting process of the food service, debt service, and special programs funds. In total, he proposed a budget totaling $32,507,151. Shaw said he prefers to budget conservatively, explaining he planned for $8.8 million in total tax revenue despite estimates showing the district will collect almost $9 million by the end of the current year. Additionally, he explained his budget estimates nearly $250,000 less in local revenue and does not account for revenue from playoff games or any other uncertainties. He did budget for a higher level of state revenue based on the fact funding revoked several years ago is being reinstated during the upcoming year. Local taxes account for about 35 percent of the general fund revenue, Shaw noted, recommending a rate of 41.191 cents per $100 in property value. “The tax rate is going down one-ten
thousandth of a cent,” he stated. “Essentially, it is flat.” Shaw said he feels it is the district’s responsibility to operate within its means. “We’re going to make it with what we’ve got and not ask taxpayers to do anything more than they’re doing,” he added. He also explained the manner in which the general fund balance will be appropriated, indicating 77 percent of the balance will go toward payroll. The district’s teaching staff increased by four compared to last year while there are two fewer teacher aides on staff. Nearly half of budgeted salary expenses are earmarked for teachers and librarians, Shaw explained. “Most of our money is spent right there on the front lines,” he added. Every teacher received a raise, he noted, stating the payroll budget is about $727,000 higher than last year. He said he was able to reduce certain expenses, including copier lease costs, and include a reserve balance for heating and air conditioning repair. Shaw was also conservative in budgeting for student attendance, estimating 3,120 in daily attendance this year compared to 3,143 at the end of last year. The board subsequently approved Shaw’s recommended budget and tax rate.
SISD Business Manager Gary Shaw presented a proposed budget and tax rate for the upcoming school year. The district’s board of trustees approved both recommendations, resulting in a tax rate nominally lower than the current year. Photos by Chris Agee
Recognition of achievements SISD superintendent Mike Kelley took time during the Aug. 26 meeting to acknowledge two individuals for exceptional achievements. First, he recognized Shayna Johnson, who recently placed first in goat tying at the Texas FFA Rodeo in July. The win qualified her for a scholarship and Kelley noted this represents just one of several awards she has won in the
sport. Kelley also congratulated SISD teacher Beverly Jack for her recognition in the Jump Rope for Heart program. The Texas Alliance for Health Physical Education, Recreation and Dance awarded her one of only 35 grants available out of a pool of more than 2,000 teachers. Later in the meeting, he also recognized two other students. PLEASE SEE BuDGET, PAGE 2A.
Council talks taxes, court project Going up! By CHrIS AGEE
Springtown city council met for its regular monthly meeting Aug. 22, during which the first of two public hearings was held concerning a possible ad valorem tax rate increase. No one from the community addressed the council, though its members and city staff discussed the subject later in the meeting. While council agreed to a proposed property tax rate of 0.75 cents per $100 in value during a special meeting Aug. 8, city administrator Mark Krey said at the time the actual observed rate would almost certainly be much lower. In the interim, Krey calculated the impact of certain spending cuts in next year’s general fund budget and determined the city’s revenue could exceed projections. The result, he concluded, would be an ad valorem tax rate near this year’s 0.623048 rate. Krey also addressed the city’s enterprise fund, explaining he has con-
ducted water and sewer rate comparisons with several area communities. “We’re right in the middle of the pack,” he said. Modest increases in those rates would allow the city to increase the number of reserve days funded in the budget, he explained. Maintaining at least a 90-day reserve is mandatory for the general fund, though Krey said it could also be a goal for the enterprise fund. He said the increases he presented would have a minimal impact on citizens but would give the city more than 10 additional days of reserve funding. Several council members agreed nominal, if recurring, rate increases are preferable to raising rates dramatically every few years. The issues discussed during the latest meeting will be open for public comment during a second hearing, scheduled for Sept. 5. Another budget workshop is also set for that meeting.
Details of new municipal court building discussed After previously soliciting bids for a renovation of the city’s Municipal Court Annex, council members decided last month to consider the feasibility of erecting a new structure in its place. Since then, mayor Doug Hughes drafted a sketch of a new building and council members proposed several features based on cost and effectiveness. Hughes’ sketch illustrated a 2,620 square-foot structure, consisting primarily of a courtroom, election office, and storage room. Council members discussed various features of the proposed structure, including the type of metal roof to be used, whether to use brick, stone, or a combination of both on the exterior, and adding carpeting to the courtroom’s concrete floors to reduce noise. City leaders will further explore PLEASE SEE SPrINGTOWN, PAGE 2A.
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With a few exceptions, most area cities see healthy rise in sales tax revenues Texas Comptroller Susan Combs announced early in August that state sales tax revenue in July was $2.2 billion, up 7.3 percent compared to July 2012. “Texas sales tax revenue has increased for 40 consecutive months,” Combs said. “The retail trade sector bolstered the latest growth in monthly revenue, and collections from the construction and the oil and natural gas sectors continued to show strength.” Combs will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts their August local sales tax allocations totaling $671 million, up 6.2 percent compared to August 2012. The sales tax figures represent monthly sales made in June as
well as April, May and June sales by businesses that report tax quarterly. Most Parker County cities saw healthy increases for August, with the exception being Reno. That city’s 2.19 percent decrease for August, from $6,946 in August 2012 to $6,794, didn’t impact its year-to-date percentage negatively, though. For the first eight months of 2013, Reno has collected $54,704, 8.05 percent more than its collections of $50,626 for the same time period in 2012. The city of Azle has seen steady, if small, increases around 2 percent almost every month for the past couple of years. In August, however, the city’s sales tax allocation PLEASE SEE HEAlTHy, PAGE 2A.
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