By Matt Smith/msmith@trcle.com
Cleburne City Council members abandoned a proposal to build a $250,000 skateboard park next fiscal year on Tuesday when they passed a budget that instead provides money for improving sidewalks.
Councilmen Kyle Boles and Sonny Russell said they didn’t oppose the park but believe further study is needed to determine if residents want and would use one.
The council instead earmarked $175,000 to install sidewalks along the Woodard Avenue bridge.
The money comes from the city’s Fund 21, which holds royalties earned from natural gas well leases the city holds.
The fund sets aside $1 million for major street projects. No specific streets are marked for repair in the budget that was passed. The proposed budget listed Trinity and Elmo streets for major repairs.
Also from Fund 21 comes $300,000 for a one-time salary boost for city workers who are not police officers or firefighters. Council members agreed to raise the amount from $150,000 at Councilman John Warren’s suggestion.
All city workers will receive a 4 percent raise and a 2.5 percent step increase, but police and fire personnel receive an additional 4.5 percent increase above those levels. Warren argued for the additional salary boost for nonemergency workers to counter raises awarded to police and fire.
Fund 21 will begin the fiscal year, which begins Monday, with a $1,316,746 balance. Officials estimate revenues of $5,090,000 for the year.
Other Fund 21 expenditures for 2007-08 include:
• $250,000 for a downtown parking lot across from city hall and sidewalk rehabilitation.
• $100,000 to expand and refurbish the animal shelter.
• $150,000 to purchase land for a new fire station.
• $500,000 for phase one of renovation of the Layland Museum and Lowell Smith Sr. History Center.
• $300,000 for neighborhood sidewalks. The amount includes $175,000 to install sidewalks along the Woodard Avenue bridge.
• $200,000 to upgrade the old sports complex in Hulen Park by replacing unsafe fences and backstops and removing old light poles.
• $100,000 to rehabilitate the Cleburne Civic Center. Cleburne 4B Economic Development Corp. money will fund an eventual expansion of the facility.
• $75,000 for improvements to Carver Park.
• $75,000 for improvements to Hulen Park.
• $300,000 for drainage projects.
• $250,000 for a golf course clubhouse. Additional funds in other accounts may also be applied to the clubhouse project, which includes the building, parking lot and landscaping costs.
Council members also transferred $2.15 million to a capital-projects account for Fund 21 projects that were not completed in fiscal 2006-07.
The fiscal 2007-08 budget passed by a 3-2 vote but failed on a 2-2 tie vote early this month. Warren and Councilman Bob Force were at odds with Mayor Ted Reynolds and Boles over the extra raises for police officers and firefighters.
Sonny Russell was on vacation during the first vote and broke the tie Tuesday.
