For the first time in the eight years it has been a village, Salado will have a tax on property.
The meeting hall was filled with tension and anticipation Thursday night as the aldermen debated and voted on the proposed property tax and budget increase.
After several alterations to the budget, a new property tax of 4.92 cents (per hundred-dollar valuation) property tax was approved.
The meeting garnered a packed house of more than 70 people. Those unable to find chairs were standing or sitting on the floor.
Salado’s main focus will be repairing and maintaining roads. Before this, road maintenance had been minimal to fit the village’s budget.
“The roads in the past have only been patched, usually 5- to 10-foot sections at a time,” Mayor Merle Stalcup said.
Stalcup said income from sales tax had been decreasing because of the lax economy, and other measures had to be taken to pay for the village’s needs.
Villagers were outraged at the initial 17.77-cent property tax proposal and the more than $300,000 for road repair that was suggested.
Dan McCort was part of the volunteer team that suggested the use of an asphalt zipper and a chairman of the petition drive against the property tax.
McCort requested a reduced budgeted amount for road maintenance.
“We (the volunteer team) feel that the citizens of Salado will be provided safe and reliable roads for $75,000 per year,” he said.
Several of the citizens who spoke reminded the aldermen it was their duty to listen and serve the citizens.
“You were elected to serve - remember that. You weren’t elected to do anything, just anything that tickles your fancy,” H.T. Crowell said.
Jack Gallagher agreed, calling for the resignation of the two aldermen, Curt Strong and Michael Cooper, who first suggested the property tax. Gallagher pointed out that for two years the board budgeted $70,000 for road repair but only spent $4,156.
“You’re not competent to do this. You are not competent to spend our money when you spent $4,000 out of $70,000.” Gallagher said. “I think you two gentlemen ought to submit your resignation.”
Not all citizens were in opposition of the property tax. Charlotte Douglass spoke for the tax.
“I’m frankly embarrassed when people in the county ask ‘When is Salado going to grow up and take care of itself?’” Douglass said. “We need taxes. We have a quality village and it takes money to maintain a quality village.”
Debate between the aldermen resulted in a decrease of the street maintenance budget from almost $350,000 to $100,000.
The board also passed two ordinances that make the street maintenance and emergency operations budgets restricted funds. Any funds left over from these two budgets won’t be used for anything else but will be rolled over into next year’s budget.
The night of tension ended with a sigh of relief from citizens at the lowered property tax rate.
“I’d like to compliment the board on lots of things that got accomplished tonight,” Gallagher said.
@temple-telegram.com
