Dateline: October 2, 2003

City budgets $100k for work on streets

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen adopted a $1.3 million municipal budget for the 2003-2004 fiscal year during a called session last Thursday.

The budget calls for increases in water, sewer, and sanitation fees, totaling $8.80 per month, and a three-cent per $100 valuation increase in the city’s ad valorem tax rate. The higher tax will cost the owner of a $50,000 home $15 per year.

The budget includes approximately $100,000 for street maintenance and improvements.

Mayor Tex Selvidge said the city had heard from the voters with regards to issuing debt to pay for street improvements, and he said the new budget reflects a “pay as you go” approach to street improvements.

Five citizens attended the public hearing on the budget and tax rate. Two ladies had questions concerning the streets.

Aleta Thompson said she wasn’t against street improvements but thought the city should address waterlines before taking on a paving project. Dianne Chisum asked about having city employees do the paving with city equipment. She also raised the issue of trying to collect some of the back taxes owed to the city and mentioned that property owners on the streets to be paved might be asked to help with that expense.

The board voted unanimously to adopt a tax rate of $0.48555 for the coming year. Alderman Michael Tibbets said he had been opposed to raising the tax rate during his three terms in office but said he voted for the increase this year to help keep the funding for the sheriff’s department.

Aldermen discussed the budget line by line. Tibbets questioned the budgeted amount for raises for municipal employees and sought assurances that there was no money for merit raises.

The board voted 3-1 in favor of the new budget with Tibbets voting “no.”

“It’s no secret that I was against the airport grant and against hiring a city administrator,” Tibbets said. “It would be hypocritical of me to vote for this budget which contains both of those things.”

In other city business, the Board of Aldermen met in regular session last Tuesday, September 23.

Bids for health insurance were reviewed, and the aldermen voted to stay with the city’s current provider, First Care, with a premium increase of nine percent.

Debra Hill from the Associated Ambulance Authority addressed the board concerning her efforts to purchase an Evacu-Splint – an inflatable full-body splint used to transport people with conditions, such as osteoporosis, which makes use of the customary stretcher painful.

Hill had previously addressed the board on September 9, and the city had voted to challenge the county to pay half the remaining cost of the device, but county commissioners did not go along.

Mayor Selvidge was disappointed in the county’s lack of action and entertained a motion to purchase the device with city funds. The board voted unanimously in favor of the proposal.

Other donations for the Evacu-Splint were made by the Clarendon Lions Club, White’s Feed & Seed, Med-Link Services, and The Clarendon Enterprise.

Jarrett Atkinson and Colby Waters from the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission addressed the board regarding services offered by the commission and the expiration of PRPC’s contract with the city for consulting services. Mayor Selvidge presented Waters with a plaque for his service to the city over the last two years.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn presented the contract between the city and his department for law enforcement services for the sum of $130,000, and Mayor Selvidge signed the contract. Blackburn also addressed the board concerning his belief that a teen curfew is needed. This matter will be considered during an October meeting.

The board approved a letter of engagement with Gordon Maddox to do the municipal audit for the 2002-2003 year.

A contract with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to rent space on the city’s radio tower was reviewed and approved.

Ordinance No. 343, which sets sanitation charges, was discussed, and aldermen determined that the charges for sanitation services outside the city limits needs to be clarified. The issue will be brought up again at the October 14 meeting.

City Administrator Sean Pate reported work was progressing on the paving under the NRCS and ORCA grants. He said city crews had also been busy at the recycling center and doing patching on city streets.