Texas-side council will meet Monday

Texarkana, Texas, City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd., is shown in December 2015.
Texarkana, Texas, City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd., is shown in December 2015.

Two budget-related items are on the agenda for Monday's meeting of the Texarkana, Texas, City Council.

The council will vote on reauthorizing a recently formed budget advisory committee and on changing the amount of money the city must hold in reserve, known as the general fund balance.

An Aug. 14 council resolution formed the seven-member committee, which dissolved Sept. 11 upon adoption of the city's fiscal year 2018 budget. A new resolution would reauthorize the committee until the council approves the 2019 budget next year.

The resolution is on the meeting's consent agenda, meaning the council will vote on it without discussion or a public hearing.

This year, the council took the committee's recommendation to transfer $6 million from the city's water fund to the general fund. The move compensated for a revenue shortfall while avoiding a proposed 4-cent property tax increase.

The committee also recommended a change in general fund balance policy, which the council will consider Monday.

Current policy is to set aside 25 to 35 percent of the total budget for use in an emergency situation. If the council approves the new policy, that would change to 60 days' worth of expenditures: $5.76 million, or about 16.45 percent of the total budget.

The result would be millions of dollars freed for use as the council sees fit.

The council is fast-tracking the measure, with a public hearing and vote both scheduled for Monday.

Also on the meeting's agenda is a resolution nominating the city's representative to the Bowie Central Appraisal District's Board of Directors. Ward 6 Council Member Josh Davis currently serves on the board. The council may renominate him or choose another member.

The council will also hear first briefings on a pair of rezoning issues and a contract with Dell to replace some Texarkana Water Utilities computers.

The agenda includes a public forum during which citizens may address the council on any topic for up to five minutes each.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd.

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