MIDLAND, TX (KWES) - Tuesday was the first chance for Midlanders to speak out on the city's proposed tax rate.
The proposed raise is just over four percent, which one councilman says comes out to about $30 a year. The citizens who showed up wanted to let the city council know, they want their money going to the right place, no matter the cost.
One concerned woman said she thinks the city should tighten their own belts, before asking for more money from their citizens. A different citizen said it looked like the city was not prepared for the drop in the oil industry and should be more focused on making sure they are prepared for another downturn.
She said money going toward pools should be spent on roads. But Councilman J. Ross Lacy assured, this fund does go toward "the right things."
"Fifty percent of this budget goes to the police and fire," Lacy said. "They're a substantial portion of our budget which is OK, because that's the core responsibility of municipal government. We provide public safety and also infrastructure. Then you look at areas that goes toward engineering, goes to planning, goes to infrastructure. When you look at water, trash, and those type of deals, well those are enterprise funds and those are paid for by user fees that you pay for by utility bill and things like that."
Lacy and the city council said they love to hear from the people of the community and will answer any questions or concerns at hearings like this. The second meeting has yet to be announced but when it is, we will keep you updated.
