Thursday, September 25, 2008

Special Council Meeting Lacks Quorum

Tonight's special called city council meeting to approve the budget and set a new tax rate for 2009 failed to materialize for lack of a quorum. Special meetings require a "super majority" quorum (4 of 5 members instead of 3). Click Here to View the Sept. 30 Meeting Announcement

Mayor Hudson notified WPC at 7:45PM that the planned special meeting on fiscal budget and tax rate failed due to a lack of quorum. Neither Dean Rolison nor Eugene Lowe were in attendance, leaving only three of the required four members necessary to hold a special meeting. Both Rolison and Lowe were unavailable to comment by telephone. Budget and tax rate levy must be completed before the fiscal year end according to State Comptroller guidelines.

Hudson stated that the absence of Rolison and Lowe indicated their "low regard for the taxpayers" in setting a lower tax rate valuation for next year.

Sources at City Hall indicate that another special meeting will be called for 7:30PM on Tuesday, September 30 to resolve the budget and tax rate issues for the coming fiscal year. If unresolved within the statutory time frame, the effective tax rate and budget from 2008 will continue in effect for 2009 by default.

3 comments:

Wisdoms Pearl said...

When you can't meet your payroll or pay your retirement fund...without being late, last minute, or borrow from another budget, or how about: the condition of our streets, no real city water, low pressure on what we do have, no shopping, no grocery store...then tell me why in the hell you would lower the tax rate. I am not going to get into the extraordinary TIF the Mayor "negotiated". Had that been more reasonable in favor of money for the City, then maybe lowering taxes for the residents would be too. Do any of you remember when Buckingham (a Dallas County municipality) went bankrupt? It's demise was preceeded by many of the same events playing out here minus the big industrial development that should be paying a fair share of taxes into the City instead of taking the overly generous TIF. Honest to God...What they save here in environmental and other studies they HAVE TO DO IN CALIFORNIA ought to be worth something.

The Associate Moderator said...

You would think so, but this is exactly what was feared by getting too close to developer money and not keeping focused on the daily needs of the City of Wilmer and the residents living here. What a comcept that would have been, huh Hudson?

TIF? Mayor negotiated a TIF? How interesting. I wonder what the negotiation fee netted Hudson and Lange? That is why the previous council fell out of Allen Group favor...they wanted what was best for Wilmer (No TIF, No Tax Increase, etc.). Hudson/Lange sold us out!

The Associate Moderator said...

Hudson was the one that wanted an 85% abatement policy rather than a 50% abatement that others advised him would be better for Wilmer (meaning more tax dollars paid by big business would go to the business rather than to Wilmer).

Hudson is the reason we are giving away so much money, Lange pushed to support it and now they want to play favorites with greedy developers to give away more of the city money...what is the pay-off?

What makes anyone think that they care about keeping Wilmer in the black financially, especially when key people in the South Dallas Avenue Chamber Stompers would rather see Dallas run Wilmer?

Go Figure.