City Council Briefs

Council adopts budget

The Olney City Council adopted a $3.6 million budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1.

The Council approved the budget on second reading at its Sept. 23 meeting. The new budget holds services at current levels, creates a building department, and raises pay rates for all city employees except City Administrator Simon Dwyer, who was hired earlier this year.

The 2025 budget was based on a tax rate that is 6 percent lower than in fiscal year 2024. The new tax rate is expected to raise $1.3 million. The budget will be funded by revenues from sales taxes, garbage and water services, airport fees, and other sources.

“We have a balanced budget,” Mayor Rue Rogers said.

The proposed budget will lower the amount of revene the City will collect but Mr. Dwyer said he worked with department heads to trim expenditures.

The City enters the fiscal year with a rainy day fund of $100,000, as well as about $91,000 to invest in city projects, he said.

The employee raises range from 3.5 percent and 7 percent, and will help the City retain staff in the face of inflation, Mr. Dwyer said.

“It’s a win-win for everyone,” he said.

Council discusses ARPA funds

The City Council discussed how to spend about $27,300 in American Rescue Plan Act funds remaining from the COVID pandemic.

The funds must be obligated by the end of the year, Mayor Rogers said.

“I don’t want us to lose any free money that we have,” Mayor Rogers said.

The Council talked about several options but did not decide how to spend the funds.

Water treatment plant bids set for 2025 Mayor Rogers said the City’s engineers have advised the Council to make a new request for proposals on the water treatment plant in January.

The Council will review a new contract for Corlett Probst & Boyd of Wichita Falls at its next meeting on Oct. 14, he said.

Their goal “will be to put it back out for bid ... in January of 2025,” he said. The company said putting the RFP out during the holiday season could throttle the number of bids received, he said.

“They thought it was better to start the year fresh ... and have the best chance to have more people come to the table,” he said.