Budget and Tax Rate

I know you didn't know this because basically no one does.

Saturday morning the City Council had a general budget workshop.  

Of course nowhere online can you see the proposed budget; I mean why let the citizen know where you are spending money? You are welcome to go down to the City Secretary's office to view the proposed budget but why in the information age can't they put it online? Aren't our elected officials to represent and seek input from us lowly citizens?

Commerce City Code says: The city manager shall submit a proposed budget to the city secretary by August 1 for the ensuing fiscal year. Said budget shall set forth, in detail, for the city and its several agencies, all proposed expenditures and all anticipated income for the current fiscal year, and the fiscal year immediately preceding; the debt of the city in detail; and the condition of reserve and sinking funds and operating funds in detail. 

Well what you can find on the City's website is the notice of the 2013 Property Tax Rates for the City of Commerce.  This shows what could possibly be the tax rate in Commerce. According to the document, in order to generate similar property tax revenue as last year and pay the debt service, the City would have to enact a tax rate of $0.8573.  Last year's rate was $0.82 so this is potentially a $.03 increase. 

When City Hall cut the library funding and did not open the pool they "saved" over $70K, which represent about $.03 of the budget.

Questions:

What is the plan for that 70K this year?

Lower the tax rate?

What level will you fund the library?

Work towards a solution for the pool?

Or business as usual?

2012 Property Tax Rates
CITY OF CADDO MILLS         0.64
CITY OF ROYSE CITY         0.68
CITY OF GREENVILLE         0.69
CITY OF SULPHUR SPRINGS 0.44
CITY OF ROCKWALL         0.50

CITY OF COMMERCE 0.82