[00:02:33]
SO IT'S. ALL RIGHT. IT IS 5:00.
I'M GOING TO CALL THIS SPECIAL BUDGET WORK SESSION MEETING TO ORDER.
WE DO HAVE A QUORUM WITH ALL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL PRESENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COUNCIL MEMBER DAN DIAZ.
I THINK HE IS ON HIS WAY AND SO WE'RE GOING TO START THIS MEETING WITH A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. IF YOU COULD PLEASE RISE SO WE CAN CITE THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. ALL RIGHT. ITEM TWO IS A CERTIFICATION OF PUBLIC NOTICE.
YES, SIR. MAYOR. THE MEETING WAS POSTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT ON AUGUST 15TH, 2025 AT 6:15 P.M..
YES. ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS TO DISCLOSE REGARDING THE MATTERS ON THE WORKSHOP AGENDA? NO, MA'AM. NO. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
YES, SIR. MAYOR. THE EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL ASKED FOR A SPECIFIC PORTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO BE DEDICATED TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. I WILL BE TAKING TIME.
PLEASE NOTE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOT INTERACTIVE. THE COUNCIL MAY NOT RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THIS TIME. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT, MISS FERN MCCLARTY. OKAY.
[4. PUBLIC COMMENTS]
WELL, I KNOW TONIGHT AND I'VE BEEN READING EVERYTHING.Y'ALL ARE PROPOSING TO LEAVE THE TAX RATE AT WHAT IT IS.
SHAME ON YOU. I WAS GOING THROUGH AND LOOKING AT THE PROPERTY VALUES.
WE KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE ON THERE.
Y'ALL WERE SO PROUD THAT YOU HAD DECREASED BY $0.04 FROM 68 TO 64 BACK IN 2223.
YOU DECREASED IT BY ONE PENNY.
THAT WAS IN 23, 24. SO RIGHT NOW IT SAYS IT REMAINS AT 63%.
AND I LOOKED AT ALL THE SPENDING THAT WE HAVE OVER THERE, AND EVERYTHING OF THEM WAS THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE RAISING AND SPENDING IT LEFT, RIGHT HERE AND THERE. AND ALL WE HAD ASKED WAS THAT YOU WHAT CAN YOU WATCH YOUR YOUR
[00:05:05]
AGENDAS, WATCH HOW MUCH MONEY YOU'RE SPENDING ON DIFFERENT ITEMS AND DIFFERENT THINGS? I KNOW THAT YOU ALL LIKE, ESPECIALLY IN ELECTION TIME, YOU ALL LIKE TO PROMISE THAT EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE WONDERFUL.I'LL TAKE CARE OF IT. YOU KIND OF GIVE US A LITTLE WINK.
SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANTED YOU TO ASK TO LOWER IT BY ONE PENNY, AND Y'ALL CAN'T DO THAT.
I KNOW YOU'RE RAISING THE WATER RATES UP.
AND RIGHT NOW I WAS TALKING AND FOUND OUT, LIKE THE EBONY GOLF COURSE.
I SAID, IS THAT HOW MUCH MONEY IS BRINGING IN? NO, THAT'S THE MONEY YOU'RE TAKING OUT OF THE SOLID WASTE TO PUT OVER THERE OVER $600,000.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IF IT'S IF IT'S NOT ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF ITSELF, BRING IN SOMETHING BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, I KNOW WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY AND THE MONEY YOU'RE SPENDING IS FROM ALL THE LITTLE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN EDINBURGH.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF PERCENTAGES THAT CANNOT AFFORD THEIR HOMES.
SO WHEN Y'ALL GO HOME TONIGHT AND YOU'RE IN YOUR NICE WARM HOUSE, COOL HOUSE TONIGHT WOULD BE COOL.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN EDINBURGH THAT ARE NOT.
THEY ARE NO AIR CONDITIONING BECAUSE THEY'RE PAYING FOR THEIR RENT OR PAYING THEIR MORTGAGE, AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT AND THEIR CHILDREN ARE GOING HUNGRY.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SUMMER HAS HAD TO GIVE FOOD FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER, AND Y'ALL JUST CANNOT SEE IT IN YOUR WAY TO LOWER THE TAX RATE TO CUT SOMETHING SOMEWHERE, TIGHTEN YOUR BELT UP SOMEWHERE.
THANK YOU. MA'AM. THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS.
MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. THAT BEING THE CASE, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM FIVE, PRESENTATION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2526.
CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET.
YES, SIR. MAYOR, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WE WILL BE PRESENTING THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. I'M GOING TO DEFER TO THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, MR. ALONSO, TO CONDUCT THE PRESENTATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. ALONSO, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
I'D LIKE TO START OFF WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE TOTAL BUDGET, AND WE HAVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS. I THINK WE HANDED OUT A LITTLE BOOKLET WITH YOUR HIGHLIGHTS. SO I'LL START OFF WITH THIS YEAR, OUR CITY MANAGER IS PROPOSING THE SAME TAX RATE AS LAST YEAR, WHICH IS 0.6300 PER 100 ASSESSED VALUATION.
IN THIS BUDGET, WE ARE PROPOSING A 3% PAY PLAN ADJUSTMENT FOR NON-CIVIL AND A 3% FOR CIVIL EMPLOYEES. SO ALL EMPLOYEES WILL BE WE ARE PROPOSING A 3% PAY PLAN ADJUSTMENT AND RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTION RATES.
WE'RE NOT PROPOSING A RATE INCREASE.
THIS RATE HAS BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE OCTOBER 1ST, 2004. FOR OUR WATER RATES, WE ARE PRESENTING AN 11% INCREASE PER WATER RATE STUDY AND ORDINANCE ADOPTED ON JANUARY 16TH, 2024. INCREASED FUNDING TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF COMPUTERS. INCREASED FUNDING TO THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF CITY SERVER REFRESH CITYWIDE AND PHONE REPLACEMENT.
INCREASED FUNDING TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF TEN PATROL UNITS.
INCREASED FUNDING TO THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FOUNTAIN POOL PUMP HOUSE. INCREASED FUNDING TO THE WORLD BIRDING CENTER FOR THE PURCHASE OF A SEPTIC TANK. INCREASED FUNDING TO THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF FURNITURE, INCREASED FUNDING TO THE UTILITY WATER PLANT DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF ONE 250 HORSEPOWER VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVE BACKWASH PUMP, THE REPAIR OF AN EXISTING BULK CHEMICAL CONTAINMENT, AND TANK AND TOWER CLEANING.
INCREASED FUNDING TO THE UTILITY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR THE PURCHASE OF ONE ROLL OFF TRUCK, UTILITY TRUCK WITH CRANE, UV SYSTEM, HEAD WORK, BRIDGE CRANE, AND LIFT STATION PUMP REPLACEMENT.
INCREASED FUNDING TO THE UTILITY DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF WATER METER READER EQUIPMENT, TRUCK SEWER CAMERA, PUSH SEWER CAMERA AND FIVE PICKUP TRUCKS.
FUNDING TO THE AIRPORT FUND FOR THE AIRFIELD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND AIRPORT FENCE REPLACEMENT PROJECT GRANT PROJECT.
THIS WOULD BE THE MATCH INCREASED FUNDING TO THE EBONY GOLF COURSE FOR THE PURCHASE OF ONE FAIRWAY POOL BEHIND MORE INCREASED FUNDING TO THE LOS LAGOS EBONY GOLF COURSE FOR ONE DIRECTOR OF GOLF FOR THE PURCHASE OF ONE TORO REAL MASTER MOWER AND A PUMP STATION FILTER FOR THE LOS LAGOS GOLF COURSE CLUB.
[00:10:03]
ON OUR NEXT OUR NEXT PAGE, PAGE TWO, WE HAVE THE TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET AT THIS TIME. WE HAVE ALL THE FUNDS.SO FOR A TOTAL OF 168,000,002 95 128 FOR FOR 25 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
2526. I CAN READ EACH ONE OF THEM, BUT I THINK THEY'RE THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH ON THERE AS FAR AS THE FUNDS.
THE NEXT PAGE, WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF OUR PAY PLAN ADJUSTMENT, THE 3% PER FUND. WE DO HAVE A FOR GENERAL NON CIVIL 870 614 POLICE CIVIL 588,479 FOR FIRE. CIVIL.
233 143 FOR A TOTAL. FOR THE GENERAL FUND OF 01,697,736.
UTILITY FUND 192 12. AIRPORT FUND 15,005 59.
AND OUR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 188,208, FOR A TOTAL OF 2,150,008.
30. ON OUR NEXT PAGE WE HAVE THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR ASSESSED VALUATION.
THIS YEAR, THE CITY OF EDINBURGH EXPERIENCED A 9.48% INCREASE IN VALUATION NET TAXABLE VALUATIONS. THAT EQUATES TO 683,218 AND $722.
THIS YEAR, OUR CITY MANAGER IS PROPOSING A TAX RATE OF $0.63.
THAT IS DIVIDED INTO I KNOW AND KNOW THE INS RATE IS 11.110 FOR THE NO TAX RATE IS 0.5196. THIS YEAR'S NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE WHICH IS CALCULATED BY OUR TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR IS 0.5835.
AND THE HIGHEST RATE THAT THE CITY CAN PROPOSE WITHOUT TRIGGERING AN ELECTION IS 0.6404. ON OUR NEXT PAGE, PAGE NUMBER FIVE, WE HAVE A JUST PRETTY MUCH A SUMMARIZED SAME THING I DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN SEE THE THE THE NET TAXABLE VALUATION QUESTION.
YOU SAID 0.6404 TO NOT GO INTO AN ELECTION, RIGHT.
WE COULD THE CITY CAN INCREASE A OF TAX UP TO THAT RATE.
ANYTHING ABOVE THAT, WE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO THE VOTERS.
SO WE COULD DECREASE BY $0.04 EVERY YEAR.
BUT WE CANNOT INCREASE BY SAYING THERE IS A LIMITATION ON HOW MUCH WE CAN CITY CAN INCREASE WITHOUT TRIGGERING AN ELECTION.
WOW. PER STATE LAW. YEAH, YEAH.
PER STATE LAW? YES. BUT IT'S JUST INTERESTING TO ME HOW WE COULD DECREASE IT BY A CERTAIN AMOUNT, BUT NOT INCREASE IT.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A LIMITATION ON DECREASING, BUT BUT IT'S GOOD TO KNOW, THOUGH. IT'S GOOD. THAT'S A VERY GOOD. I DID NOT KNOW THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU.
OKAY. OUR NEXT PAGE. NET TAXABLE VALUATIONS.
ONCE AGAIN, THE PROPOSED TAX RATE IS 0.6300, IS 0.1104 AND 0.5196.
THAT THAT IS A REVENUE THAT WE HAVE.
AT 97% WOULD BE A TOTAL OF 48,203,000 TO 88.
[5. BUDGET]
IT IS BROKEN DOWN. SOME OF IT WILL BE ALLOCATED TO DEBT SERVICE, WHICH IS IS A FIRST COMMITMENT.AND THEN WHATEVER'S LEFT GOES TO GENERAL FUND.
SO THE ALLOCATION FOR DEBT SERVICE IS 08,159,177.
ALLOCATION TO GENERAL FUND IS 39,756,235.
OUR NEXT PAGE THE THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT COMES UP WITH THE THE THE AVERAGE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL VALUE OF, OF A HOME HERE IN EDINBURGH.
THAT VALUE FOR THIS YEAR IS 240,815.
AT THE CURRENT THE FIRST COLUMN, WHICH IS IN YELLOW, THAT IS IF, IF, IF THAT SAME RATE IS ADOPTED, AN AVERAGE TAXPAYER HERE WOULD BE PAYING $1,517.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE OTHER THREE COLUMNS.
IF WE WERE TO HAVE THE DECREASES, THAT IS HOW MUCH THEY WOULD BE SAVING IF IT WERE TO BE DECREASED TO 62.5 CENTS, $0.62 AND $0.61.
AND THIS IS ALL THE SOURCES OF THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE A COMPARISON OF OF WHAT THE LAST YEAR'S TAX RATE AND WHERE WE
[00:15:01]
COMPARE TO, TO OTHER CITIES IN HIDALGO COUNTY.AS YOU CAN SEE THE $0.63 IS IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF THE OF ALL THE CITIES.
WE DO HAVE SOME CITIES THAT ARE A LOT HIGHER AND SOME CITIES THAT ARE LOWER.
CITY OF EDINBURGH IS STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AS FAR AS THE TAX RATE GOES.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE ON PAGE EIGHT, WE HAVE JUST A HISTORY ON THE TAX RATE THAT THE CITY HAS ADOPTED STARTING IN 1995 96 THROUGH WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED NOW.
SO THE CITY TAX RATE WAS MAINTAINED AT 0.6350 FOR, FOR ALMOST IT WAS 24 YEARS.
AND 2019, 2020, IT WENT UP TO $0.68.
STAYED THERE FOR TWO ADDITIONAL YEARS.
AND FISCAL YEAR 22, 23, 24, IT WENT DOWN TO $0.63 AND LAST YEAR WAS 0.63 ALSO. AND THIS YEAR THE SAME RATE IS BEING PROPOSED.
ON OUR NEXT PAGE, WE HAVE PRETTY MUCH A PROJECTED FUND BALANCES.
WE ARE PROJECTING TO END UP AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR AT 26.03% OF TOTAL EXPENDITURES. THAT IS A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE.
OUR LOCAL POLICY IS TO MAINTAIN A 25% FUND BALANCE.
THAT EQUATES TO 90 DAYS, EQUATES TO 90 DAYS OF OPERATIONS FOR FOR FISCAL YEAR AFTER. IF THIS IF THIS BUDGET WERE TO BE ADOPTED AS IS RIGHT NOW, WE WOULD BE AT 25.13, WHICH IS STILL ABOVE THE 25%.
AND THAT WOULD EQUATE TO ABOUT 91 DAYS.
AND ONCE AGAIN, IN THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS, DIFFERENT CITIES HAVE DIFFERENT BENCHMARKS.
OUR OUR BUDGET POLICY IS TO MAINTAIN A FUND BALANCE OF 25%, WHICH EQUATES TO THREE MONTHS ON THE LAST PAGE I JUST PROVIDED.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME OF THESE TERMS HAVE BEEN HAVE BEEN USED QUITE A BIT.
JUST JUST A DEFINITION ON ON WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED, A TAX RATE, THE SAME RATE AT 0.63.
2.63. THE FIRST ONE. THE SECOND ONE IS THAT NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE.
EXACTLY WHAT THAT WHAT THAT IS AND THEN THE HIGHEST TAX THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, WHICH IS THE 0.6404. AND YOU'LL SEE AN EXPLANATION, A DEFINITION ON, ON WHAT THE STATE DEFINES AS THOSE RATES AND, AND WHAT THEY'RE WHAT'S REQUIRED.
WE I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO EITHER OUR UPPER MANAGEMENT OR ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR DIRECTORS OR MYSELF OR ANYTHING YOU MIGHT LIKE TO ASK, AND WE'LL TRY TO ANSWER THAT.
AND FOR PURPOSES OF OUR NEWEST COUNCIL MEMBER, THIS IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET FROM CITY MANAGEMENT AND DIRECTORS.
WE HAVE TO APPROVE THIS BEFORE THE END OF SEPTEMBER 30TH.
SO IT'S RIGHT NOW IT'S PRESENTED AS BALANCED.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, IT IS BALANCED.
WE ARE USING FUND BALANCE, DRAWING IT DOWN ABOUT 6601.
YEAH. YES. BUT BUT FROM HERE, OBVIOUSLY.
COUNCIL, WE WE REVIEW THIS, AND, OF COURSE, WE CAN ASK THAT DIRECTOR'S QUESTIONS ON ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS, BUT WHAT'S NEXT AFTER THIS? JUST SO THAT COUNCIL MEMBER WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND AND WELL, TONIGHT WE HAVE THE TAX RATE FOR CONSIDERATION.
YES. ON OUR AGENDA IT STATE REQUIRES MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IF YOU'RE PROPOSING A TAX RATE THAT IS ABOVE THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE THAT YOU PROPOSE DON'T HAVE TO ADOPT IT. YOU PROPOSE A TAX RATE THAT YOU YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADOPT? AND IT REQUIRES FOR YOU ALL TO TAKE A VOTE ON A PROPOSED TAX RATE.
RIGHT. AND THEN WE AGENDIZE THAT, AND THEN WE HAVE TO PUBLISH THAT, AND THEN AND THEN WE HAVE TO ADOPT THAT RATE OR ANY RATE YOU ALL DECIDE TO ADOPT.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE SCHEDULED TO HAVE A HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 16TH AND ALSO HAVE ANOTHER ACTUALLY ADOPT A RATE OF WHATEVER RATE IS, IS YOU PROPOSE AND YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO ADOPT ON THE SEPTEMBER 16TH MEETING, WE THERE'LL BE AN AGENDA ITEM AND AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT THAT RATE.
BUT TODAY ON THE ON OUR REGULAR MEETING, WE DO HAVE A AN AGENDA ITEM TO PROPOSE A TAX RATE AND TAKE A VOTE. SO COUNCIL, JUST AS A REMINDER.
[00:20:07]
SO TODAY, THIS WAS BEING PROPOSED.THIS IS A TIME TO, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES, ANY. RIGHT. NOW'S THE TIME AFTER WE APPROVE THE BUDGET, IT'S NOT A GOOD TIME BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED.
AND SO I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF NEEDS THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND FIRST, I WANT TO THANK OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS FOR PRESENTING THIS BALANCED BUDGET.
IT'S IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT TASK BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY NEEDS OUT THERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. BUT IT ALWAYS SAY OUR BUDGET, IT'S A MATTER OF PRIORITIES, RIGHT? TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE IDENTIFY AND AND DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE REVENUES BEFORE US. BUT BUT I'LL OPEN IT UP AT THIS TIME.
COUNCIL, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I KNOW I'VE SENT LISTS OF QUESTIONS TO OUR CITY MANAGER. I DON'T KNOW THAT WAS FORWARDED TO COUNCIL OR YES, IT WAS. OKAY. AND I HAVE OTHERS, BUT I'LL ALLOW COUNCIL.
IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. HOW MUCH ARE WE SPENDING ON ON STREET IMPROVEMENTS? OKAY, WE HAVE THAT THAT NUMBER HERE.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION.
THAT WAS YOUR QUESTION, RIGHT. BECAUSE THIS YEAR, HOW MUCH DID WE END UP? I THOUGHT WE SPENT ABOUT 3 MILLION.
HOW MUCH DID WE SPEND THIS YEAR ON ON STREET IMPROVEMENTS? WE SPENT LIKE 5 MILLION THE LAST THREE YEARS. I KNOW WE HAD ARPA FUNDS AND ALL THAT, BUT BUT I GUESS ARPA FUNDS ARE RUNNING OUT ALREADY, SO. BUT I WOULD HAVE TO GET THE NUMBER FOR YOU.
I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
THE ACTUAL SPENT ON THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
CORRECT? YEAH, I CAN GET THAT BACK TO YOU.
I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
WHERE IS OUR FOR OUR STREET DEPARTMENT? WHO'S THE ONE IN CHARGE OF OUR.
I THINK, MR. VINCENT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALLOCATING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE STREETS. THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR ME.
THE AMOUNT OF THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WAS UTILIZED WAS BASED ON THE THE ACTUAL OPERATIONS WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN OR FIX OR MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE STREETS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT WE HAD, NUMBER OF RAIN DAYS, EQUIPMENT, PERSONNEL AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE SOME FUNDING LEFT OVER FROM ARPA AND OTHER FUNDING MECHANISMS. AND SO THAT'S THAT MONEY IS BEING UTILIZED THIS YEAR TO CONTINUE WITH THE PLANNED STREETS IMPROVEMENTS.
I BELIEVE THERE'S A LIST OF STREETS THAT WERE STILL PENDING, BUT THAT'S THE MONEY THAT'S BEING ALLOCATED TO MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THOSE STREETS, AND THAT WOULD BE OUT OF OPERATIONS.
WE DO HAVE SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS, FUNDS ON SOME SOME ROAD.
NEW ROADS THAT ARE BEING WERE APPROVED THROUGH BOND FUNDS ALSO.
BUT BUT I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, AND I THINK OUR CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL MEMBER, SENT US A LIST OF IT IS ABOUT 1.2 MILLION.
I WAS LOOKING BACK ON WHAT IS ALLOCATED IN THIS BUDGET FOR STREET PAVING.
VINCE. HOW MUCH HOW MUCH DID YOU HAVE LAST YEAR OR THIS CURRENT YEAR DID YOU HAVE IN YOUR BUDGET? SO WE STARTED WITH 2.6 MILLION.
WE HAD A BALANCE OF 926, OR WE HAD EXPENDED 926,000.
SO THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR WE STARTED WITH 1.6 MILLION YEAR TO DATE WE'VE EXPENDED 859,356. WE HAVE A PENDING BALANCE OF 814,000.
AND THAT IS DIVIDED UP WITH ASPHALT.
WE HAVE AN ASPHALT CONTRACT, A CONCRETE CONTRACT AND GUTTER, AND WE HAVE THE STRIPING CONTRACT AS WELL THAT WE UTILIZE FOR ALL THE PAVING.
SO WE HAVE 800 AND SOME THOUSAND FOR TO FINISH OFF THE YEAR.
YEAH. SO THAT WILL CARRY US INTO PROBABLY ABOUT FEBRUARY OF NEXT YEAR.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO NEED MONEY IF WE CONTINUE AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
SO THAT 1.2 MILLION WILL START PRETTY MUCH IN FEBRUARY.
IS THAT OR. WHAT DO WE DO IF YOU DON'T USE IT? IT GOES BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND. NO, WE'RE GOING TO USE IT BECAUSE IT'S ARPA MONEY. SO WE HAVE TILL DECEMBER OF 2026 TO USE IT, BUT WE'RE PROJECTING TO USE IT BY THE TIME BY PROBABLY JANUARY, FEBRUARY 2026. SO WITHOUT THE ARPA FUNDS, HOW MUCH MONEY DID WE USE FROM WITHOUT ARPA FUNDS? YEAH, IT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 800 AND THE.
THE 1.2 WOULD BE ABOUT WHAT, 400? FOR STREET PAVING? WE'VE ONLY USED THE ARPA FUND.
WE'VE ONLY USED ARPA FUND. THE LAST FEW YEARS, FUNDING HAS ONLY BEEN FOR STREET PAVING, ASIDE FROM ANY CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ENGINEERING HAS MANAGED.
BUT THIS YEAR IT'S NOT ARPA FUNDS.
CORRECT? IT IS. IT IS, YES, BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH MONEY ALLOCATED FOR STREET PAVING IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THEY ONLY UTILIZED, AS YOU CAN HEAR WITH VINCE'S NUMBERS, THEY ONLY USED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY.
HOWEVER, THAT MONEY IS ALLOCATED FOR PAVING IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WE'RE STILL GOING TO DESIGNATE IT FOR PAVING IMPROVEMENTS AND NOT REALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS ELSEWHERE. WE'RE STILL GOING TO USE THEM FOR STREET PAVING IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH ARPA FUNDS DO. WE HAVE LEFT 800.
[00:25:03]
WELL, FOR THAT SPECIFIC PROJECT, HOWEVER, I'M GOING TO DEFER TO MISS CLAUDIA BECAUSE THERE IS AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR ARPA IN THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.WITH THE ARPA FUNDING FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS, 2.6 WAS ALLOCATED. THAT WAS A TOTAL ALLOCATION.
AND TO DATE AND TO DATE, AS OF JULY THE 31ST, 2025, THERE IS $842,021 LEFT.
EXPENDITURES SO FAR HAVE BEEN 1.75 MILLION OF ARPA ARPA.
BUT I HAD ASKED CITY MANAGER FOR A LIST OF STREET IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND THE NUMBER THAT I HAD SEEN WAS ABOUT 5 MILLION TOTAL SINCE 2022.
SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 5 MILLION AND THE 2.6 IS HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, HAS BEEN SET ASIDE. I GUESS MY CONCERN IS THAT ONCE THE ARPA FUNDS RUN OUT AFTER NEXT YEAR. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO START PUTTING BACK IN THE BUDGET THE ACTUAL STREET AMOUNT FOR STREET, ACTUAL STREETS, RIGHT.
LIKE WE'RE NOT PUTTING IN THE BUDGET. WE'RE USING ARPA FUNDS FOR THAT. SO THAT'S NOT TECHNICALLY IN OUR BUDGET FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS WELL, THE ARPA MONEY IS OUR BUDGET.
I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF, YOU KNOW, REVENUE SOURCES.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE GENERAL FUND, YOU HAVE ARPA. BUT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS POINT, YEAH, WE GOT TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY. NOT THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT THE ONE AFTER THAT. CORRECT.
CORRECT. TO ENSURE THAT IN OUR BUDGET, WE HAVE.
BUT I THINK THAT'S ONE THING WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WITH OUR CEOS ALSO.
I THINK YOU HAD SOME STREET IMPROVEMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE JUST NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW. THANK YOU. ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER. I JUST.
I HAD I HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT THEY WERE SENT TO ME. BUT I DO HAVE JUST TO TOUCH ON AS A FOLLOW UP TO THOSE SO ON OUR UTILITY FUND.
SO THE I KNOW THE PROPOSED RATE, THE INCREASE IS TIED TO THAT STUDY AND THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS ADOPTED.
CORRECT. MY QUESTION IS, I KNOW WHEN THAT PRESENTATION WAS DONE BY THE RATE CONSULTANT AND THEN OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR AT THE TIME I GUESS AFTER A YEAR WE WERE GOING TO THEN SEE HOW MUCH FUNDS WERE BEING RAISED SO THAT WE CAN BE IN A POSITION TO START SOME OF THOSE CIP PROJECTS AND, AND PERHAPS ISSUE BONDS FOR THOSE MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS. RIGHT.
SO MY QUESTION ARE WE ARE WE THERE YET OR WHERE ARE WE AT IN TERMS OF THE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. THE INCREASE RIGHT. TIED TO THE ORDINANCE TO DO THOSE PROJECTS.
SO I JUST KIND OF WANT TO GET A SENSE OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
OKAY. IF IT'S OKAY, I'D LIKE TO DEFER THAT TO OUR CITY MANAGER.
I KNOW THAT SHE'S BEEN WORKING WITH WITH OUR ACM AND AND OUR WATER DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES.
THANK YOU, MR. ALONSO. SO FOR BASED ON THE WATER RATE, INCREASED REVENUES THAT HAVE BEEN GENERATED, WE'RE ABLE TO DO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
IF YOU'LL SEE IN YOUR BUDGET APPROXIMATELY $1.94 MILLION BASED OUT OF THE UTILITY FUND.
THEN, OF COURSE, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE MONITORING THE REVENUES THAT WILL BE GENERATED THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING AN ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL PROJECTS WITH WITH SOME FOR THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS. LET ME SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS AND THAT WOULD BE.
DEPENDING ON THE DIVISION, DEPENDING ON THE FUNDS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, BASED ON, ON SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT THEY'VE PROJECTED, IT WOULD BE 1.5 MILLION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION WATER PLANT WOULD BE ABOUT 9.49 MILLION, WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT WOULD BE ABOUT 15.385 MILLION, AND THE SYSTEMS WOULD BE 5.365 MILLION, FOR A TOTAL OF 31.74 MILLION.
NOW, OF COURSE, THESE ARE PROJECTS.
THEY'RE PRIORITIZED BY DIVISION, BUT WE WOULD NEED TO BE MONITORING THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING REVENUES THAT ARE RECEIVED THROUGH THE UTILITY RATES IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THESE PROJECTS.
BUT CURRENTLY FOR THE CAPITAL OUTLAY WITHIN THE UTILITIES FUND BUDGET, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 1.94 MILLION.
AND SO THIS 31 MILLION IS GOING TO BE ISSUED A FUNDING SOURCE.
SO IT IS IT'S TO BE DETERMINED BASED ON WHATEVER REVENUES WE RECEIVE.
RIGHT. BUT AS PART OF THIS BUDGET, YOU'RE SAYING ONLY 1.9 OUT OF 31 MILLION ARE ALLOCATED TOWARDS THESE PROJECTS.
SO THE PROJECTS THE CAPITAL OUTLAY IS NOT INCLUDED IN THESE OTHER PROJECTS.
THESE ARE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
CAPITAL OUTLAY ARE OTHER OTHER NEEDS THAT THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT YOU KNOW, HAD PROPOSED TO SUBMIT.
ALL RIGHT. SO THAT BEING THE CASE, SO HOW MUCH DOES THE 11% INCREASE IN REVENUE
[00:30:01]
FOR FOR THE CITY FOR THIS THIS YEAR.THE THE ADDITIONAL 11% WOULD BE 2,908,390 ADDITIONAL REVENUE WITH 11% INCREASE.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE A LIST OF THE $2.9 BILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS.
I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW MUCH IS BEING RAISED.
THERE WAS A, I GUESS I WOULD IMAGINE, A SIMILAR AMOUNT LAST YEAR, MR. ALONSO. RIGHT. YES.
BUT SO, I MEAN, YOU ADD THEM TOGETHER, IT'S ALMOST 6 MILLION, RIGHT? SO WHAT WHERE ARE THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FUNDED WITH THAT INCREASE? THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO SEE. OKAY.
SO WE CAN WE CAN IDENTIFY THEM.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A FEW THAT WE HAVE PENDING FOR A COUPLE OF GRANT MATCHES BASED ON SOME GRANTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED FOR THE WATER PLANT.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT THAT'S OKAY. MY MY ISSUE HERE IS THAT, I GUESS YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LIST OF PROJECTS THAT THAT THE ORDINANCE RATE STUDY WAS BASED ON. HOW MUCH OF THOSE ARE, ARE A PART OF THAT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT. OKAY. WE CAN WE CAN IDENTIFY THOSE AND PROVIDE YOU THAT INFORMATION. OKAY.
THEN ON THE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY FUND UNDER NON-DEPARTMENTAL.
PAGE 142. THERE'S OTHER 310,000.
I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE A BREAKDOWN. IT JUST HAS A TOTAL.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S THE TOTAL OF THE.
I GUESS IT'S FROM THE CVB, I GUESS.
AND THE MUSEUM. THAT'S WHAT I SEE THERE.
RIGHT? THAT'S THE TOTAL. THAT'S A COMBINATION.
THAT'S NORMALLY WHAT IS ALLOCATED. THAT'S A TOTAL A TOTAL OF 215 AND THE 95.
AND SO 215 FOR EDINBURGH CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU.
SO THAT THAT ADDS THEM UP TOGETHER. YES OKAY. YES.
AND SO THAT TOTAL OF 970,000 IS THE WHAT IS BEING BUDGETED.
RIGHT. AS PART OF THE THE OVERALL HOTEL OCCUPANCY.
BUT I KNOW GENERATES MORE THAN THAT. SO WHAT? WHERE'S THE DIFFERENCE? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOOKED AT THE.
HOTEL MOTEL REVENUES AND LOOKED AT THE TREND.
THAT TREND HAS HAS SLIGHTLY DECREASED.
SO WE'RE PROJECTING 170,000 OF OF REVENUE.
SO TO, TO APPROVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
SO IT'S BASED ON WHAT WE PROJECT TO FOR REVENUES TO COME IN.
OKAY. I ACTUALLY DID HEAR THAT I WAS TALKING TO A HOTEL OWNER YESTERDAY, AND THEY WERE SHARING WITH ME THAT THEIR HOTEL STAYS HAVE ACTUALLY DECREASED THIS YEAR. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS FOR MY STAFF.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING EVENTS HERE. ARE WE PUSHING A LOT OF THESE CONCERTS, OR ARE THESE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN FOR THE DOUGAN? ARE WE PUSHING THEM TO STAY AT OUR HOTELS HERE IN EDINBURG OR THEY'RE GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE? BUT BUT I, THEY DID MENTION THAT IT WAS A CONCERN.
SO WE'VE BEEN DOING IS ANYTIME WE HAVE AN EVENT THAT IS CITY COORDINATED, WE DO GET TOGETHER WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MR. RONNIE LOTT. HE'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN ASSISTING, MAKING SURE THAT WE PROVIDE SOME TYPE OF LIKE A DISCOUNT CODE, OR WE DESIGNATE CERTAIN HOTELS WHERE WHERE THEY CAN THE VISITORS CAN STAY AT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GENERATE MORE REVENUE FOR THE HOTELS IN WORKING WITH THE DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT WE BRING INTO THE CITY.
SO WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TO, TO THE, TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ABOUT THAT AND HELPING COORDINATE.
YEAH. SO WITH UTAH FOOTBALL COMING IN, ARE THE PLAYERS GOING TO BE STAYING HERE? DO YOU KNOW THAT WITH UTRGV OR LIKE HAVE WE TALKED TO ANYONE FROM THE UTRGV ATHLETICS OR ANYTHING OR LIKE WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO BE STAYING. WELL, WE I DON'T THINK WE'VE DISCUSSED EXACTLY THE HOTELS THAT THE FOOTBALL VISITORS OR THE FOOTBALL PLAYERS ARE GOING TO, GOING TO BE STAYING, BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY A DISCUSSION THAT WE CAN HAVE AT THIS TIME. WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO TALK ABOUT LOGISTICS.
AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL TRAFFIC AND WHATNOT.
BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN START HAVING OPEN DIALOG WITH THEM TO BRING IT UP. ON THAT SAME NOTE, I DO AGREE WE PROBABLY NEED TO GET CHAMBER OR SOMEBODY TO START REACHING OUT TO THEM BECAUSE NOT ONLY JUST THE PLAYERS, BUT ALSO THEIR FANS, THEIR FAMILIES.
CORRECT. COME UP WITH SOMETHING GOOD EVERY GAME DAY BECAUSE, I MEAN, THAT IS A THAT'S A BIG REVENUE STREAM THAT COMES IN JUST WITH THOSE GAMES.
OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BY COUNCIL.
ON THE I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK.
I KNOW IT'S NOT ON HERE, BUT I HAD ASKED FOR A FULL TIME VACANCY.
REPORT, I DON'T KNOW. WE HAVE H.R.
HERE. WE HAD, LIKE, 86 EMPLOYEES OR 86 VACANCIES.
WHAT'S THE LATEST? THIS IS FROM A FEW WEEKS AGO.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE BECAUSE I DON'T SEE A LOT OF POSITIONS BEING ADDED,
[00:35:03]
WHICH IS FINE. RIGHT. BUT I'M NOT SURE THIS IS NOT DATED WHEN IT WAS PROVIDED, BUT I'M SURE IT WAS AT OUR LAST BUDGET MEETING.AND THE ONLY REASON I'M ASKING IS I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR POSITIONS, AND BUT I KNOW WE HAVE ALL THESE VACANCIES ALSO.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, ERIKA, MY DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
SO WE DID RUN THE VACANCY REPORT, AND I DID SEND IT UP TO ADMINISTRATION.
WE DO HAVE QUITE A FEW VACANCIES RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE SO THE WAY IT WORKS IS WE POST THEM AS THEY ARE REQUESTED FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE ALREADY HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH CITY MANAGER THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO CHANGE SOMETHING GET RID OF IT OR RECLASSIFY IT TO A DIFFERENT POSITION SO WE DON'T POST THEM AUTOMATICALLY.
IT COMES AS A DIRECTION FROM FROM THE DIRECTOR, BUT WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING THEM AS THEY COME IN AND THEY'RE APPROVED FOR BY CITY MANAGER TO POST. WE WE ARE POSTING ACCORDINGLY.
I KNOW SOME OF THEM ARE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON EXAMS TO GET THOSE POSITIONS FILLED.
AND DO WE HAVE APPLICANTS OR THEY'RE JUST NOT ABLE TO FILL THEM IN TIME OR FOR POLICE OVERALL? WELL, POLICE I KNOW IT'S A DIFFERENT.
RIGHT. SO OVERALL BECAUSE I SEE SOME LIKE STREETS DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, SOLID WASTE IS A MUCH NEEDED POSITIONS, RIGHT? RIGHT. SO WE JUST HAVE A HIGH TURNAROUND IN, IN THE POSITIONS. WE POST THEM.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT HAPPENS IS A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE, THEY COME IN AND THEY USE THE CITY AS A STEPPING STONE, AND THEN THEY KIND OF GO ON, THEY GET THEIR CERTIFICATIONS OR THEY GET THEIR YOU KNOW, THEY BUILD UP THEIR RESUME AND THEN THEY MOVE UP TO OTHER CITIES THAT MIGHT PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE MCALLEN OR WHATNOT.
SO IT'S JUST KIND OF A REVOLVING DOOR.
I CAME FROM THE CITY OF HARLINGEN.
WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, I THINK IN THE VALLEY OR EVERYWHERE IN GENERAL. EVERYONE'S HAVING A HARD TIME RIGHT NOW FILLING A LOT OF POSITIONS.
YOU KNOW, EVEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING THEIR PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BORDER PATROL OR DPS AND ALL THAT.
SO THIS IS GOING ON. THIS IS A REAL PROBLEM GOING ON WITH EVERY INDUSTRY.
RIGHT. AND SO I AM THE CHAIR FOR THE LOCAL HR CONSORTIUM.
SO WE HAVE HR LEADERS FROM ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE RGV.
AND SO WE WE MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH AND WE TRY TO DISCUSS LIKE WHAT ARE OTHER CITIES DOING TO TRY TO RECRUIT, YOU KNOW, TALENT AND KEEP.
AND SO WE'RE AWARE OF THE SITUATION.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO IT.
BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT'S JUST PAY.
AND IT DOESN'T HELP ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, SOCIAL MEDIA, THE WAY IT GOES OFF AND SAYS, OH, YOU KNOW, WHO CARES ABOUT YOUR JOB AND ALL THESE THINGS? IT GETS INSTILLED IN PEOPLE'S HEADS. RIGHT. AND SO I KNOW IN THE HR DEPARTMENT AS WELL, WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY FOCUS ON EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, TO TRY TO RETAIN SOME OF THESE PEOPLE, LIKE AS PART OF THE BENEFITS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES AT THE END OF THE DAY, PEOPLE SEE MORE PAY FOR ANOTHER CITY.
DOESN'T MATTER WHAT ENGAGEMENT WE'RE DOING, THEY'RE GOING TO GO WITH SOMEONE THAT'S GOING TO GIVE THEM MORE DOLLAR FOR THEIR BUCK.
SO ABSOLUTELY. SO DO WE HAVE A PLAN LIKE A FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR RETENTION FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES? LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN START WORKING TOWARDS. SO BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME TALENTED PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT REALLY DON'T WANT TO, YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE BECAUSE THEY'RE AN ASSET TO THE DEPARTMENTS. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT AS FAR AS EITHER A FIVE YEAR PLAN FOR RETENTION AND WHAT WHAT WE COULD DO TO TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO COME IN AND STAY.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO PUSH FOR. SURE.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, I JUST STARTED WITH WITH THE CITY.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M CURRENTLY EVALUATING. I'M LOOKING INTO SUCCESSION PLANNING AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A DIRECTOR THAT MIGHT BE CLOSE TO RETIREMENT OR A SUPERVISOR THAT WE HAVE THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE IN HOUSE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE ON THAT POSITION VERSUS TRYING TO GET SOMEONE FROM FROM THE OUTSIDE.
SO THAT'S A GOOD RECRUITMENT STRATEGY TO HELP PEOPLE MOVE UP AS WELL.
PART OF THE PART OF THE BENEFITS PACKAGE THAT THE CITY HAS, IT'S A VERY RICH BENEFITS PACKAGE.
SO A LOT OF TIMES THAT WE USE THAT AS A RECRUITMENT TOOL AS WELL.
BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.
I KNOW LIKE ERICA MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, SHE JUST CAME ON BOARD, BUT WE'RE ALREADY BRAINSTORMING.
BECAUSE IT IS AN ISSUE THAT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, CITY OF EDINBURG ISSUE.
IT'S AN ISSUE WITH A LOT OF LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES FEDERAL AND STATE.
YOU KNOW, JOBS ARE VERY LUCRATIVE, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES AND, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY FIND THEMSELVES LEAVING.
YOU'D BE SURPRISED, THOUGH, HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY, IF THEY LEAVE THE CITY OF EDINBURGH, THEY WANT TO COME BACK. SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THAT.
[00:40:01]
WE HAVE THAT TOO. I KNOW ERIKA BEING ONE OF THEM MYSELF.WELL, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT MAYBE, LIKE YOU SAID, OUR BENEFIT PACKAGES, MAYBE IT'S ABOUT EDUCATING THEM.
CORRECT. AND TELLING THEM THE DIFFERENCES AND WHAT THEY'RE GETTING AS PERKS ON OUR BENEFITS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO START REALLY FOCUSING ON.
AND WE DO DURING OUR EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION, WE HAVE ALMOST A FULL DAY ORIENTATION.
WE HAVE VIDEOS, AND WE GO THROUGH ALL OF THE BENEFITS THAT THE CITY OFFERS.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING INTO LIKE A HEALTH FAIR AND STUFF LIKE THAT, TOO. I KNOW WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, BUT EVEN EDUCATING THEM AT THAT TIME AND REMINDING THEM OF ALL THEIR BENEFITS THAT THEY HAVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. ABSOLUTELY.
MAYBE ONCE A YEAR WHEN YOU'RE DOING AN ENROLLMENT JUST IT'S OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND. IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE WE'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT EVERY SINGLE DAY, ESPECIALLY IN THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, INCORPORATE DURING THE RETURNING ENROLLMENTS OR, YOU KNOW, EVERY SIX MONTHS WHEN YOU HAVE A DIRECTOR'S MEETING OR SOMETHING. AND ACTUALLY NOW WITH THE NEW THE NEW INSURANCE PLAN AND BEING SELF-INSURED, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE SOME PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE BROUGHT UP AS WELL THAT WE CAN ADD TO THE THE LIST OF BENEFITS THAT WE HAVE FOR EMPLOYEES, FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND WHATNOT.
SO. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT.
IT'S BEEN A BENEFIT FOR US TO GO IN THAT TO GO THAT ROUTE.
MEANWHILE, MAYOR TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IT'S A CHALLENGE NOT ONLY FOR EDINBURG FOR BUT FOR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AS WELL.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO WE CONTINUE ADVERTISING, WE CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THE ONBOARDING PROCESS. BUT SOMETIMES WE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE THOSE CHALLENGES.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ON THE I KNOW WE HAD A LOT OF REQUESTS FROM THE THE CHAMBER, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND THE MUSEUM OF SOUTH TEXAS.
AND I ASSUME THOSE LEVELS ARE BEING KEPT THE SAME AS THIS YEAR.
THEY REMAIN THE SAME. ALL THREE OF THEM HAD SPECIFIC REQUESTS.
I JUST ASK THAT WE REVISIT THAT FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE AND ADD TO WHAT THEY DO.
I KNOW I THINK BOYS AND GIRLS WAS ASKING FOR TRANSPORTATION. I THINK THE CHAMBER WAS A A I'M NOT SURE WHAT WHAT I WAS TRYING TO LOOK BACK AT WHAT THEY SUBMITTED.
AND I KNOW THE MUSEUM OF SOUTH TEXAS HISTORY WAS LOOKING AT I GUESS USING THE I THINK THE DAILY REVIEW, THEY HAVE ALL THE BOXES, THE, ALL THE TO TO KIND OF PRESERVE THOSE.
AND I KNOW THAT'S AN AMOUNT AND I KNOW THAT'S OUTSIDE OUR GENERAL FUND, SO WE COULD FIND A WAY OUTSIDE OUR GENERAL FUND TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
SO. AND IF I CAN GET AN UPDATE ON THE VACANCIES, THAT'D BE GREAT. YEAH, I WAS, YEAH, I WAS CHECKING TO SEE IF I HAD ONE, BUT THE LAST ONE WAS THE ONE THAT I SENT YOU.
SO WE'LL GET AN UPDATE ON THAT.
I HAD ASKED ALSO ABOUT THE FACILITY SPACE ASSESSMENT.
I KNOW WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND SOME OF OUR BUILDINGS AND AND, YOU KNOW, DEPARTMENTS ARE OUTGROWN A LOT OF THEIR FACILITIES.
AND I KNOW THOSE ARE TO FUND WITH OUR OPERATIONS BUDGET.
BUT JUST LOOKING AHEAD, I KNOW THERE WAS A FACILITY SPACE ASSESSMENT THAT WAS DONE FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. MUNICIPAL COURT? YES.
IS THAT CORRECT? WE WE WE COMPLETED A SPACE NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE BOTH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MUNICIPAL COURT. YES. AND SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING INTO OTHER DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS THE LIBRARY, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR THAT AS WELL.
RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK.
AND YES, NOT NOT SO MUCH EXPANDED, BUT MAYBE DO A NEW ONE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT.
BUT ON THE SO THE SPACE ASSESSMENT IS ALREADY DONE.
SO WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP ONCE WE'VE DONE THAT.
SO ONCE WE'VE DONE THE SPACE NEEDS ASSESSMENT I BELIEVE NOW THEN WE GO TO POSSIBLY THE FACILITIES NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND THEN WE START LOOKING AT AT, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE LOCATIONS.
HOW MUCH IS HOW MUCH DO WE ACTUALLY NEED.
CAN WE EXPAND WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY AT, OR IS THERE A WHOLE NEW FACILITY THAT WOULD BE NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION TO BE BUILT? SO FROM THERE IT WOULD GO TO THE FACILITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
SO YOU START WITH THE SPACE NEEDS AND THEN YOU GO TO THE FACILITY NEEDS.
AND SO THEN AND THEN WE CONTINUE FROM THERE.
AND WE'RE WE'RE STILL CONTINUE TO CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEEDS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE MUNICIPAL COURT LIBRARY.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO ALSO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL, BUT WE NEED TO PHASE THEM OUT.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD TO DO WITH OUR WE WE HAVE A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH THAT ORGANIZATION. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BRING UP EVERYBODY AT A MINIMUM OF $15 AN HOUR, AND WE HAVE UP TO, I THINK, NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT WAS A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD ALLOW US, IN GOOD FAITH, EFFORT TO BRING OUR MINIMUM HOURLY RATE TO $15 AN HOUR, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE BEEN PROPOSING A PAY PLAN ADJUSTMENT EVERY YEAR OF AT LEAST THE 3%.
YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE ABSORBED IN OUR BUDGET.
BUT I BELIEVE WE HAVE UNTIL 2027.
YEAH, WE HAVE UNTIL NEXT YEAR, FISCAL YEAR.
[00:45:02]
SO I THINK BY THEN WE MAY BE ABLE TO MEET THAT THRESHOLD.IF NOT, THEN WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE, AND THEN WE CAN START PLANNING TOWARDS WE CAN DO IT IN ONE YEAR.
AND THAT'S THE REASON I'M BRINGING IT UP. I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE TOUGH TO DO THE ONE YEAR.
AND I SUPPORT WHOLEHEARTEDLY FOR US TO GIVE AN INCREASE TO ALL OUR EMPLOYEES, THE 3%. BUT BUT WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOT EARNING THE $15, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT THAT'S I KNOW IT'S A RESOLUTION, BUT IT'S A COMMITMENT HOWEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT. IT'S A COMMITMENT THAT WAS MADE BASED ON A LAWSUIT, COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WAS FILED AGAINST THE CITY.
AND WE WE. YOU KNOW, KIND OF NEGOTIATING CAME UP WITH A RESOLUTION THAT OVER, I THINK A THREE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, WE WOULD RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE $15 AN HOUR.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHERE ARE WE AT NOW? WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THE 3%.
RIGHT. AND SO WHAT'S THE AVERAGE RIGHT NOW? HOW MANY EMPLOYEES FALL UNDER THE $15.
THE LOWEST. THE LOWEST GRADE CURRENTLY IS AT 12.99 PER HOUR.
OKAY. WITH THE 3%. IT'LL IT'LL IT'LL MOVE UP TO 1338.
SO THERE'S STILL A DIFFERENCE OF ABOUT $1.62 TO BE AT 15.
NOW TO TO IMPLEMENT THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT NOT ONLY THE $15 EMPLOYEE, BUT ANYBODY IN THAT RANGE AND ANYBODY SUPERVISORS THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE BEEN HERE FIVE YEARS AND THEY'RE AND THEN SOMEBODY JUST GETS MOVED UP TO WHAT THEY'RE MAKING.
SO WE DO NEED TO KIND OF ANALYZE THAT AND REVIEW IT AND HOW TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
WITH THE 3% WE'LL WE WOULD BE AT 1338, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S PRECISELY WHY I'M BRINGING IT UP, BECAUSE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DO THAT ALL IN ONE YEAR. AND SO WE'RE WAITING.
WAITING. AND YOU KNOW THAT 2627 IS ALREADY COMING A YEAR FROM NOW.
YOU KNOW, SO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL ASK IS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. I'M NOT SAYING LET'S DO IT ALL AT ONCE, BUT WE GOT TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A PLAN OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.
YEAH. OKAY. THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE AT THIS TIME.
COUNCIL. IS THERE ANY ANYBODY ELSE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD AT THIS TIME? AS PART OF THE PROCESS MR. ALONSO. NO, NO. RIGHT NOW WE WELCOME ANY, ANY DIRECTIVES OR ANY ANYTHING YOU ALL WOULD LIKE FOR US TO, TO LOOK AT AND AND I THINK CITY MANAGER WILL, WILL I GUESS, WORK WITH ACM AND MYSELF AND STAFF AND TO SEE IF WE CAN INCORPORATE THOSE THOSE CHANGES. SO WE WELCOME ANY, ANY DIRECTIVES OR ANY ANY THING YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER.
AND IF EVERYTHING'S OKAY, THEN THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET, THE TAX RATE AND THE BUDGET.
AND WE'RE SCHEDULED TO DO THAT ON THE 16TH.
IF EVERYTHING IF YOU ALL ARE OKAY WITH THAT.
AND JUST. AND I KNOW MISS BYRNE HAD BROUGHT THIS UP ABOUT THE, THE, THE TAX RATE. I DID ASK MR..
I ASK EVERY YEAR. MY FIRST QUESTION IS HOW MUCH DOES $0.01 GENERATE.
RIGHT. AND THE THE DOLLAR AMOUNT I WAS GIVEN IS 788,000.
THAT IS HOW MUCH I STILL REMEMBER WHEN THAT VALUED AT 200,000.
NOW IT'S AT 788,000. BUT THAT'S HOW MUCH $0.01 IS EQUAL TO.
AND SO YOU KNOW, BELIEVE ME, AS MUCH AS I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, REDUCE THE TAX RATE AGAIN, GIVEN ALL THESE NEEDS, THIS BUDGET IS VERY LEAN.
I MEAN, THIS BUDGET IS YOU COULD PROBABLY ASK ANY OF THE DIRECTORS OUT THERE.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT ABLE TO COVER, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WE NEEDED TO DO.
AND SO YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A TAX RATE, YOU KNOW, REDUCTION, BUT IT'S IT'S A CHALLENGE GIVEN ALL THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AT THIS TIME. BUT BUT THAT'S HOW MUCH A $0.01 GENERATES.
ARE WE BEING CONSERVATIVE, HOW WE'RE PROJECTING THIS NEW WHAT'S THE AMOUNT? WE'RE WE'RE PROJECTING 5.5% OVER WHAT WE'LL END UP AT 930, 25. OKAY. SO THE TREND HAS BEEN THERE.
WE DID GET A ONE TIME SPIKE THAT KIND OF SKEWED THE NUMBERS.
AND WE SEE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE THIS YEAR.
WE'LL PROBABLY END UP AT I THINK IT WAS LIKE 12 12.87%.
BUT BUT THE TREND WE'RE TRENDING AT AROUND 5% FIVE AND A HALF.
SO WE'RE WE'RE PROJECTING WHERE OUR REVENUES ARE BASED ON FIVE, 5.5% OVER THE CURRENT YEAR.
VERY WELL. IF THERE'S NO OTHER.
ANYTHING ELSE? CITY MANAGER? NO, SIR.
NOT AT THIS TIME. AND SO AGAIN, JUST THE NEXT STEP.
WE HAVE OUR. ARE WE HAVING THIS BACK ON OUR NEXT MEETING IN SEPTEMBER ON THE SECOND? IS THERE ANYTHING ON THAT AGENDA RELATED TO THE BUDGET? NO. OKAY. BUT I MEAN, COUNCIL, IF YOU'D LIKE TO, ANY KIND OF CHANGES WE HAVE UNTIL THEN, BECAUSE THE 16TH IS WHEN WE WOULD HAVE TO ADOPT IT. DOES IT HAVE TO BE ON THE 16TH OR CAN IT BE.
[00:50:04]
NO. IT WOULD BE GOOD SO THAT THEY CAN PREPARE ALL THE INFORMATION FOR YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO BE DONE BY SEPTEMBER 30TH, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING.REGULAR MEETING BEFORE SEPTEMBER 30TH.
THE ONLY THING IS THAT ON OUR NEXT MEETING, WE HAVE THAT HEARING.
SO IF THAT MEETING IS MOVED BEFORE THEN, WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE THAT HEARING ALSO.
AND PUBLICATIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
THAT VOTE IS TAKEN. OUR AGENDA TODAY, WE WOULD HAVE TO SPECIFY THE THE DATE AND THE LOCATION WHERE WE'RE HAVING THAT.
AND THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE WE CAN ADOPT THE TAX RATE.
RIGHT? ONE HAS TO BE ADOPTED BEFORE THE OTHER.
CORRECT? YES. OKAY. VERY WELL.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION I WILL ASK FOR ADJOURNING OF THIS MEETING.
SO MOVED. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. WE'RE ADJOURNED.
IT IS 5:48 P.M.. WE'LL START THE COUNCIL MEETING AT 6:00.
THANK YOU. OKAY. WHAT ARE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.