Type B funds can be used to pave arterial and collector streets that, if not fixed, would otherwise discourage investment and development. Photo by Nickie Snow Stillman
A lot of news came out of the August 25 city council meeting in Corpus Christi. During the day-long meeting, the council:
• Voted 7-1 to increase rates for water, wastewater and gas
• Began the process to call an election to amend the city charter to allow citizens to vote for a tax increase and longer city council terms
• Killed a proposal to build a trash collection center in Flour Bluff.
The first two bullet points involve improving the city’s notoriously pothole-riddled streets, despite the fact that they are about water rates and referendums.
Increased utility rates won’t go into affect until after a second vote by the council. If approved without change, rates could increase by 22 percent for homes using 5,000 gallons or more a month. Wastewater rates would increase by 11 percent.
The average monthly increase for water would be about $6, for wastewater about $4 and for gas, around 32 cents. The new rates would go into effect Jan. 1, 2016.
The money is needed to lay new pipes and rebuild underground infrastructure as roads are repaved. Money for repaving arterial roads comes from a previously voter approved bond issue. City manager Ron Olson said voters were told then that utility rates would go up if the bond issue was approved.
Now to the second bullet point: an election to amend the city’s charter.
Faced with a potential 5-4 split vote to increase property taxes enough to fund residential road improvements, the council voted to change the city charter so the issue can be put before voters in a referendum. The tax increase needed would have raised rates high enough to possibly trigger a tax rollback election.
A split council could be a driving factor for opponents of a tax increase to initiate a rollback. The council, instead, opted for a vote to change the charter, which would then enable them to call an election for voters to decide directly on a tax increase. Voter approved tax increases cannot trigger rollback elections.
The council then added a second charter change to the proposal which would extend two-year-long council terms to four years. The election would be set for November 2016.
A final controversy was settled when the council allowed a resolution to build the Flour Bluff collection facility to fail. City staff was instructed to instead research locations for a “litter critter,” a large trash bin set out and then taken away when full. The litter critter would be moved from place to place.
As for the $4.6 million collection facility slated for Holly Road and Flour Bluff Drive, opposition by Flour Bluff residents finally convinced the council to let the project die.
