Bastrop, Tx–The city council approved a new budget for fiscal year 2010 Tuesday without controversy, though it reserved some potentially divisive decisions until later in the year. The property tax rate of 55.4 cents per $100 value remains unchanged from this year.
The revenue and spending plan sets aside $125,000 for street repair and maintenance work, almost double the amount available in the 2009 budget. It also leaves $135,000 in a contingency fund to be allocated later.
The anticipated revenue includes an additional $200,000 to support park operations agreed to Sept. 15 by the Bastrop Economic Development Corp. board, a decision affirmed Sept. 21 at the regular BEDC meeting for the month.
Bastrop City Manager Mike Talbot promised a mid-year budget review in March. He hopes by then to be able to recommend hiring a city information technology director to work on the city’s antiquated internal and external electronic communications systems, he said in interviews this week.
The city’s fiscal year begins Oct. 1.