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HARLINGEN — A proposed $64.8 million general fund budget boasting a $34 million cash reserve — the biggest cache in the city’s history — might be coming with Harlingen’s first street paving crew expected to “revolutionize” street repairs and maintenance, officials said.
The proposed budget compares with the current $57.2 million general fund budget, coming with a $31 million cash stockpile.
“The city’s in great shape,” City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez told commissioners Tuesday during their first workshop, aimed at planning the budget for the next fiscal year.
Under the proposed budget, Gonzalez is projecting the city to generate $64.8 in revenue, covering $63.5 million worth of expenditures, while planning a $2.8 million, 10-member street paving crew that would cut out contractors’ costs.
To help fund the proposed street paving crew, officials would pull $2.2 million from the cash reserve fund, Gonzalez told commissioners.
Now, under a $1.5 million budget, officials are paving about four miles of streets a year, Assistant City Manager Oscar Garcia said.
Working with the proposed street paving crew, he expects to pave eight to 12 miles a year, he said.
“I think this has the potential to totally revolutionize the way we do streets here in Harlingen,” Commissioner Rene Perez said. “We’re cutting out the middle man. In the long run, this is going to pay for itself.”
As part of the plan, Gonzalez is proposing paying the 10-member crew, including a superintendent and manager, $629,230 to cover salaries and benefits while setting aside $2.28 million to buy heavy equipment.
Under the budget, Gonzalez is also earmarking $840,488 to fund one-time purchases while setting aside $795,488 for police department expenditures, including a $350,000 rescue vehicle.
After working with department heads to draft the proposed budget, Gonzalez is requesting commissioners consider adding 27 positions, calling for $1.25 million in salaries, to City Hall’s payroll, including six sanitation department workers, five parks positions, four street maintenance workers and three media personnel.
Meanwhile, commissioners are also mulling $11.49 million worth of department heads’ requests, including $2.6 million in heavy street maintenance equipment, an $850,000 fire engine and two street sweepers totaling $700,000, along with computers and cameras.
To fuel the budget, Gonzalez is projecting sales tax revenue to jump to $26.1 million from $24.3 million this year, while expecting property tax revenue to dip to $21.8 million from $22.4 million.
About 65% of the proposed budget’s total revenue is projected to cover $41.6 million worth of personnel expenditures, with the police department taking up $16.7 million while the fire department’s taking $11.4 million.
Under the budget, salary increases are totaling $1.5 million, while Gonzalez is setting aside $664,286 to cover expenses incurred as part of firefighters’ collective bargaining agreement while earmarking $613,358 fund the police officers’ union’s requests.
Among the city’s departments, the Tony Butler Golf Course is projected to generate $1.13 million in revenue while facing $1.34 million in expenditures, leading to a $211,179 deficit.
