City Council adopts $52.9 million budget, approves tax rate

By BRITTANY FHOLER

Cove Leader-Press

The Copperas Cove City Council took a unanimous record vote in favor adopting the tax rate and the municipal budget for Fiscal Year 2023 during a special meeting Tuesday evening.

The adopted tax rate of $0.721028 per $100 valuation, which is the Voter Approval tax rate, is lower than the current fiscal year 2021-2022 tax rate of $0.760068. This newly adopted tax rate is a 3.904-cent decrease of the current tax rate.

The adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2023 includes total projected revenues of $50.94 million, with all expenditures totaling $52.95 million. Of that amount, $1.83 million from the General Fund will be for one-time expenses in the form of capital projects. The deficit of expenditures versus revenues in the General Fund, specifically for those capital projects, will be covered using the city’s Fund Balance, which is approximately $10.29 million at the beginning of fiscal year 2023, which begins October 1, 2022.

The city council also adopted the Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2023-2027 and the CIP for fiscal year 2023.

City Manager Ryan Haverlah shared with council members that the total amount of capital projects in the city’s Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2023-2027 is for $146 million, of which just over $8 million is allocated for 21 projects within 2023.

Some of the projects for 2023 include the expansion of Fire Station #3, the Walker Place Boulevard Reconstruction, Shop Facility Rehabilitation for Fleet, replacing sports lighting on Fields 1, 2 and 3; resurfacing the basketball courts, storage facility, skate park, installing a walking trail, building a new bridge and replacing the existing one; plus construction of a new Senior Center; the renovation of the Children’s Room at the Copperas Cove Public Library; the design and construction of the Municipal Court building; the widening of the South Bypass; the Wash Rack; Transfer Station expansion; and Scale House expansion and rehabilitation; as well as drainage improvements for Ramblewood Estates, Courtney Lane, N. Main Street, January Street, and Avenue B.

The city council also adopted the Capital Outlay Plan for fiscal years 2023-2027, which included a list of 220 items or pieces of equipment to be purchased for a total amount of $21.33 million. For fiscal year 2023, there are 44 pieces of equipment at a cost of $3.8 million. These items include vehicles, computer equipment and other machinery/motorized equipment.

The city council also adopted the Personnel Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2023-2027 and for fiscal year 2023. For fiscal year 2022-2023, there will be 315 funded (positions) FTEs. In the General Fund, these include adding two Firefighter II positions in the Fire Department; reducing 5.5 positions from the Street Department and moving them to Street Maintenance Fund; and changing the full-time position in the Senior Center to part-time.

In the Water and Sewer Fund, the changes include increasing five positions under Water Distribution. In the Solid Waste Fund, the changes include increasing one position under Residential Collection.

Haverlah said that the city is currently working with the Hill Country Community Action Association and discussing expectations of running the Senior Center.

“In those discussions, they have expressed the desire to actually take that position on within their organization,” he said. “They have expressed taking it on as a full-time position, and so as we continue to work through that discussion, we will be bringing that to Council for consideration, which would be an agreement with them to operate the Senior Center.”

The council also adopted the city’s Fee Schedule and proposed changes for fiscal year 2023.

Residents will also see their Solid Waste fee increase from $19.83 per month to $22.36 per month for residential garbage collection, in addition to that 12.77 percent across-the-board increase for other rates, with the exception of the disposal fees, which remain at a minimum charge (up to 240 lbs.) of $7.71 and $77.13 per ton.  There is also a new $150 fee for Solid Waste Deposit (Dumpster Commercial).

Changes also include increasing the Non-Emergency Service Call fee from $50 to $100 and increasing the Licensed Facility Inspection fees for Foster Homes and Adoptive Homes from $40 to $50, for the Fire Department.

For the Development Services and Building Departments, the proposed increase for all service fees is calculated at eight percent, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) also referred to as the Cost-of-Living Index, which has increased by 8.6 percent since last year.

At the Library, the cost per page of a Computer Printout-Color increases from $0.15 per page to $0.25 per page.

The Code and Health fees also are seeing increases with the Garage Sale Sign Fee jumping from $10 to $12 and the Health Inspection Fee jumping from $75 to $100.

There is also a new fee of $50 added for Foster/Adoption home Health Inspections.

The Temporary Health Inspection Fee(Up to Three Days)(for Non-Profit use)increases from $12.50 to $25.

The city is eliminating the $60 Retail Food Store Inspection Fee due to it not being used.

The fee for Non-profit use card - Clasroom training increases from $2 to $5.

Other fees being eliminated include the $10 Registration of non-city provided Food Handler Cards with the City, the $120 Food Manager License - Classroom Training Fee, and the $10 Manager Accreditation - Registration of Certification within the City.  

Utility customers will see a few fee changes as well. The city is eliminating the minimum fees for the meter size (outside city limits) and the Rate per 1,000 Gallons of Water (outside city limits), at least until the 2022 Rate Study is complete, due to not having customers currently outside of city limits.