By Matt Smith/msmith@trcle.com
Locally, at least, the projects of Cleburne’s 4B Economic Development Corp. are well known and often in the news. Many are familiar with Splash Station, the Cleburne Youth Sports Complex, the Booker T. Washington Community and Recreation Center and the other completed or in-the-works projects approved by Cleburne voters in 2001. Lesser known, perhaps, is that other Johnson County cities also have 4B corporations. But most also have 4A corporations, unlike Cleburne. l Although smaller in funding and ambition than those of Cleburne and Burleson, the corporations all strive to improve the quality of life for their residents.
Godley, Grandview, Joshua and Keene have 4A and 4B boards. Alvarado and Rio Vista have 4B only.
Their projects are generally smaller in scope than those of Cleburne and larger cities. Rio Vista, for example, employs 4B funds strictly for street repair and paving, City Secretary Brenda Marbut said. All funds, city leaders said, go toward improving the quality of life or attracting business and jobs to their respective cities.
“It’s pretty exciting for us,” Alvarado finance director Kelle Whitfill said. “Without [4B] we wouldn’t have a lot of the things we do now.”
Alvarado used 4B funds to purchase land adjacent to the existing city park. The city added a pavilion, playground equipment, landscaping and a recently opened skateboard park. The park remains a work in progress with plans for walking trails and other amenities, Whitfill said.
4B also helped fund early-warning sirens for the city, 4B President John Percifeld said.
Most Johnson County cities tend to focus their 4B money on parks.
4B money partially funded Keene’s Elisa Carver Park. The park includes playground equipment, basketball courts, baseball diamonds, walking trails and a concession stand.
“We’re out here probably three or four times a week,” Keene resident Daniel Gathings said. “It’s a nice place. I just wish we could get a skateboard park put in.”
Megan Canedy said she recently began jogging in the park.
“It’s nice, this is my second time here,” Canedy said. “I live out in the county and got attacked by a stray dog not long ago, so this is kind of a safe haven place from that sort of thing.”
Future 4B projects in Keene include a skate park, sprinkler park and covered picnic tables, 4B President Rick Neighbors said. Other projects include updating and improving city Web sites.
“We meet the second Monday at city hall, and everyone’s welcome,” Neighbors said. “People come in with proposals, and we consider the pros and cons and pick the best ones. The way I see it, we’ve been entrusted with Keene tax dollars, so we want to spend it wisely in a way that best promotes Keene.”
Grandview 4B funds contributed to the Grandview City Park, said 4B board member Laura Morgan, although a Texas Parks and Wildlife grant funded much of that project. 4B funds paid for a fountain park downtown and helped fund a matching-grant program for downtown business owners to fix up their historic buildings. The board hopes to install old-style lighting downtown and a “Welcome to Grandview” sign on Interstate 35W, Morgan said.
“I think [4B] adds to the quality of Grandview,” Morgan said. “It gives children a place to play and gives adults a downtown place to relax on their lunch hour.”
Joshua has, so far, not done a lot with either 4B or 4A, City Manager Paulette Hartman said. The 4B board plans to undertake park projects in the future, she said. A master plan covering Joshua parks and open space, set to go before the city council for approval in May, would spur future park projects, Hartman said.
The city plans to put 4A funds towards infrastructure repairs and additions for the planned Joshua Station addition, Hartman said. The station will be used as a stop on a light-rail route planned to go through Joshua and other Johnson County cities, Hartman said. The station, to be built on Texas 174, will also include retail development, she said.
Keene used 4A money to purchase land for use as an industrial park, 4A President Wayne Tomblinson said. 4A provided land in the industrial park free to Texas Pocket Springs, and the board is in talks with two other companies about relocating there, Tomblinson said.
“At least one of which will pay partial value for the land,” he said.
Such incentives help attract business to Keene, Tomblinson said.
“We needed an anchor company to get a Texas Capital Fund grant to put in water and sewer service out there,” Tomblinson said.
Godley has so far used 4A funds to install sewer lines to attract several businesses, City Administrator Stephanie Hodges said. City leaders hope to undertake additional 4A and 4B projects in the future.
Local money
The local sales and use taxes — imposed through voter approval in a local-option election — finance economic development efforts in a city. 4A money goes toward industrial development. It may be used to acquire land, buildings and equipment or make infrastructure improvements related to improving or attracting manufacturing, industrial, recycling, research and development, aviation-related and other business to the city.
4B taxes fund projects meant to contribute to a community’s quality of life. Parks, museums, entertainment facilities, tourism concerns and other matters fall under 4B’s purview. 4B funds may also be used for streets, water and sewer facilities and affordable housing.
A board of directors must be appointed by the city council to administer and oversee the projects. Although the councils retain oversight authority; they approve program and expenditure recommendations made by the boards.
Cities may adopt a sales tax rate of one-eighth, one-quarter, three-eighths or one-half or 1 percent, so long as the total rate of all local sales and use taxes does not exceed 2 percent. The 2 percent ceiling prevents city sales taxes from exceeding 8.25 percent overall. Cities may also limit the duration of the tax and use funds.
