EARLIER: Members of the Houston City Council reviewed the first draft Monday of the 2019 budget that could be adopted as early as next week.
The document, drafted by City Administrator Tona Bowen, will guide the city in its plans for the upcoming year. Mayor Don Tottingham said the endeavor is one of the most important jobs the council completes during the year.
In discussing the budget, Tottingham urged the council to develop a long-range plan that addresses the projects it hopes to complete over the next few years — including a repair or replacement of the Houston Municipal Swimming Pool. A children’s pool never opened during the last season, causing a decline in revenues. Some on the council called on the park board to communicate its wishes on the Westside Park facility constructed in the 1970s and said they weren’t clear on the status. The park board, it was stated, has consulted some professionals to guide it. Bowen said she’d seen some park board minutes.
It’s not the first time Tottingham has called on the council to develop a multi-year vision for the community and its needs. He questioned a sharp jump in fire department spending. He said the normal annual budget was about $100,000. The proposal calls for $177,000. Alderman Jeremy St. John said the increased spending allows the department to “catch up” on needed equipment purchases after years of neglect. Tottingham wondered why some expiring equipment hadn’t earlier been placed on a cycle to purchase some annually. St. John said previous administration hadn’t allowed it.
Bowen said the budget process involved input from department heads and an analysis of funding sources. She said the budget must be balanced and anytime expenditures are added into the budget it likely means another project may be cut. She said she wanted citizens to understand the procedure.
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Other discussions of items in the budget:
•About $13,000 for software and access to the state’s law enforcement computer system. That would allow officers to tap into the system from their vehicles on laptops.
•Lengthy discussion about the city’s pool and whether repairs or replacement — or a combination of both — should be studied. No one had definite answers. Tottingham called for a professional study to look at the issue so that the city could plan. Councilman Kevin Stilley said a recent survey by the parks and recreation board found wide support for improvements at the pool.
•A reduction in the draft in the amount of money spent on asphalt improvements. About $150,000 is included, down from a request of $170,000. Shoppers in Houston pay two quarter-cent sales taxes that are earmarked for street, sidewalk and utility work.
•A 2.8 percent cost of living raise is included. Other adjustments reflected are in the city’s retirement program and a recently updated pay scale.
The council is set for a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26, to consider the budget further before required adoption by Dec. 31. The public is invited.
Houston mayor calls for long-term plan to prioritize needs.
PDF: Budget message to council