Water for yer shower, water for yer potty, money for the shopping center, money for a rainy day

Happy almost-August, dear readers!  
 

So if you have noticed, the city of Copperas Cove is recommended a 1 percent increase for water and sewer rates for the upcoming year.

Plus a 5.5 percent increase in solid waste rates for $1 per month.

This will be discussed by the council on Tuesday evening.

We were warned, back when She-who-shall-not-be-named was city manager, that because the council did not approve any utility rate hikes for years, there was some catchup to be made. Water costs more. The city buys its water, dear readers. There’s no magic well that the city draws from and sells the water. It ain’t free. So the city turns around and sells it to us customers. Plus, after we potty and shower, the city takes that water and treats it. It’s got to go somewhere y’all, and not in the ground because that’s just nasty and gross. So it costs to treat the water. That all makes sense.

But, if *I* were on city council – and I’m not – I’d recommend NOT raising rates this coming year. Not a’tall.

Let’s talk about the fund, as taken from the actual 280-page proposed city budget itself:

“Total expenses are estimated at $13,889,410, which is $26,535 less than the amount projected for the fiscal year 2018-2019. The Water & Sewer Fund realized a decrease in debt service requirements in fiscal year 2019-2020 as anticipated by the debt service schedule, estimates a 6% increase in the cost for water purchases, and the repair or replacement of vital equipment in operation facilities.”

Okie dokie. They expect costs of water to go up 6%. Not something the city can control.

Before we look at the numbers, let me ask you this: How many of us have 90 days of household expenses saved up in case of disaster or need?

Nope, I didn’t think many of us do.

Welp, those city funds have “fund balances” of at least 90 days of operating expenses. It’s a rainy day fund, or emergencies, or whatever. Back sometime ago, the city council itself approved an “ideal fund balance policy.”

Basically, the city manager MUST or IDEALLY keep at least 90 days of expenses in that fund. If the apocalypse happens, or whatever, we will still be able to keep operations going. Maybe not the apocalypse, but you get the idea. You just never know. But a city manager should adhere to the policies his bosses – the city councilmembers – have asked him to adhere to. Or, he could be fired. 

Yep.

Dear readers, let’s look at the fund balances for Water & Sewer, and Solid Waste, as taken from the proposed budget for the next fiscal year itself:

Okay. Look at the funds. Look at the fund balances. Presently, the city’s Water & Sewer fund is $201,189 OVER the ideal fund balance. Also, the Solid Wate fund is $1,604,535 OVER the ideal fund balance.

That’s OVER. In excess of.

Those funds already have $2,464,549 in Water/Sewer, and $2,678,691 in the Solid Waste fund. Waiting to be used. If needed. Like a disaster or something. Or?

Now….getting back to my “if I were on council” statement.

Dear readers, dear council members (some of whom read and scowl at this blog and perhaps curse me silently or not-so-silently), the funding of FATHOM has been a general clusterf*** of three years now. We still hear the problems popping up. Things weren’t GREAT under the old system, but at least you knew it was local.

Anyhoo, the more PRUDENT action this year for those funds would be to HOLD OFF ON ANY RATE INCREASES.

Think of YOUR customers, dear city council. You are customers, too. We elected you to keep OUR interests in mind. Now, granted, some of our interests are nice, but aren’t things that are for the good of all.

Curmudgeon believes the council should take a step back and instruct our city manager to use some of that fund balance INSTEAD OF raising rates. Make it a goodwill gesture to your customers. It is sad that most people equate ANY rate increases with feeding the coffers of FATHOM, but factoring FATHOM into the budget as it is now, STILL leaves us with a healthy fund balance.

Is a couple hundred grand more THIS year going to change much?

Are you going to fire someone if the balance dips slightly below “ideal?”

Well, since the council doesn’t follow its policies regarding conduct anyway, as evidenced by past actions of the council without nary anything but a “my bad” from Sorry-Charlie for violating Texas Ethics Commission regulations. 

https://www.coveleaderpress.com/news/former-councilman-calls-out-ethics-violation-alleges-city-charter-violations

Just sayin.

I remind my dear readers of the THREE MILLION DOLLAR LOAN the city made FROM THE WATER AND SEWER FUND to ENDEAVOR REAL ESTATE so it could build the section of the shopping center where we now enjoy places like McAlister’s, etc., on down the line to Burke’s outlet. 

It was perfectly legal for them to do so, but it is interesting at how robust a fund is that seeks an increase in funding.

Endeavor should be paying us back, I believe, on that loan. Sooooo, tell me about that rate increase again, dear council!

Curmudgeon will be all ears about the upcoming discussion this week.

It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of the year

In lieu of Christmas in July, dear readers, Curmudgeon is celebrating the upcoming Copperas Cove city council election season.

It starts in a few days, on July 20, when all the would-be’s have the chance to toss their hats into the proverbial ring for one of three spots:

Copperas Cove city council, Place 3 – presently held by Dapper Dan Yancey. No he is not term limited – yet – because he just finished his first full term in office. City charter limits place holders to two consecutive terms in the same position.  

Copperas Cove city council, Place 4 – presently held by Jay Heartburn Manning. He came onto the scene in 2016, nudged into running by who-knows-who and expressing “heartburn” over a number of things. He hasn’t used that term as much lately.  

Copperas Cove city council, Place 5 – presently held by the Reverend Kirby Lack. Reverend is a repeat council member, having held a position in the early 1990s. Kinda like Sorry-Charlie Youngs, who was wont to tell everyone of how things were done “when he was on council before.”

Early candidate predictions

So, the big question for future would-be’s is:

Who of the three incumbents will run for office again?

Curmudgeon predicts that both Dapper and Heartburn will run again. They’ve hit some momentum (self-perceived) and don’t want to lose any of the reversals that they and their fellow members of the GOBC (Good Old Boys Club) have enacted ever since Marty Pitch-a-Fit-on-Facebook Smith threw one and left the council in 2016, when she and former city manager Andrea Gardner had a bit of kerfuffle. ‘Nuff about that.

The Reverend will likely not run again, Curmudgeon thinks. He’s done what he set out to do – enact some long-put-off park improvements.

Candidate predictions:

Curmudgeon believes that some former candidates will fill out the paperwork and get out there again to see if they can get more votes this time.

It would not be surprising to see Ron Nelson up there again after he lost the bid for mayor. He has kept his social media page afloat and active, even since the special election in April.

Curmudgeon will watch for other former candidates Joey Acfalle and Azeita Taylor to make another bid for one of the chairs on the dais. Mr. Joey has kept busy in the community and has had incrementally higher numbers than his first bid for an office (Coryell County district clerk).

Curmudgeon is unsure about 3^rd, 4^th or 5^th time’s a charm Taylor. Her Azeita Taylor for Copperas Cove Mayor Facebook page is up and active, although the position of mayor won’t be open again until November 2021.

Former city councilmen and councilwomen might be up there again. Curmudgeon will watch to see if George Duncan, David Morris, Cheryl Meredith, or Matt Russell will file to run again. 

Mr. Duncan was one of the first to follow former councilman Mark Peterson’s lead and start questioning groups on how they spend hotel occupancy tax funds. 

The relentless and justified questioning of the chamber’s expenses, questioning led by him, which eventualyl led to a 2016 shake-up to the chamber of commerce’s very foundations, and also led to what appears to be an ardent reboot of the organization to be more business-focused as opposed to tourism focused, so it could use at one point NEARLY $200,000 in HOT funds! – to help pay a robust staff and office. Whew, that was a long sentence. Let it sink in. Don't forget the numbers I gave you previously, dear readers, to show you how much the chamber was given to produce little results, far littler than now with their ZERO funding!

Now, things are different for groups seeking HOT funds, as it should be. Hopefully this change will “stick” and continue to be applied to the chamber. Sorry-Charlie insists that the chamber was “cut off at the knees.” Yet, surprisingly, the chamber has continued to flourish with ribbon cuttings and business events, despite not having HOT funds to pay for its staff, etc., for three years.

I digress…where was I? Oh, possible candidates!

James “for it before I was against it” Pierce is presently occupied with his first six-year term on the CTC board of trustees, the election victory which was a minor coup of the status quo in that arena.

As always, Curmudgeon will look for a Dark Horse newcomer to the ranks, a local citizen who has quietly been educating themselves on municipal operations and already has an established support base, and who is ready to campaign. Place 1 councilmember Joanne Courtland is a prime example of that Dark Horse finishing first in the 2018 election.

Dark Horse newcomers, do not be like Ms. Brandi Weiand, who did virtually no campaigning, missed one of two political forums, and at another forum talked about things that were more relevant to school district than city operations. And, got 15 votes. She had more attention locally after her arrest for an alleged assault charge earlier this summer which she contends was self defense. Then, she has taken to rants on social media as well, clearly perturbed at the current mayor.

All of this goes to say, Dark Horse and/or newbie candidates, prepare for people to follow you and question you about your life and what what you do.

Anyhooo, July 20 and the 30 days to follow, and the time leading up to November 5 will be interesting, to say the least.