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Leander adopts new tax rate, budget for 2008-09

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One decimal point can make an assistant fire chief nearly sweat to death in a room that's very well air-conditioned. Leander Deputy Fire Chief Bill Gardner said so after the city's regularly-scheduled council meeting last week.

When Leander Mayor John Cowman read the new tax rate for the city when it adopted its 2008-09 budget last week, he put a zero where there shouldn't have been a zero. Instead of saying $0.602590, he said $0.062590.

And his motion received a second.

But an alert Place 4 council member Michell Cantwell caught the mistake. The motion was pulled from the floor, the right one was made and the tax rate of $0.602590 per $100 of property value was adopted by the city of Leander for the 2008-09 fiscal year.

Gardner and his firefighters can rest assured the city's tax rate didn't drop 54 cents and they all still have jobs. In fact, worked into the new city budget and tax rate is the hiring of new firefighters and other public safety personnel.

The council adopted its budget and tax rate with no public input at any of the meetings to discuss it.

In the budget, $0.245659 goes toward current expenses, maintenance and operation of the general government, and $0.356931 will go toward the interest and sinking fund. This rate raises more taxes for maintenance and operation than last year's rate.

Best weekend ever

Leander has enough going on during the weekend of Sept. 26-27 that everyone should find something to do. The Texas Mission of Mercy dental project will be at Rouse High School beginning at 8 a.m. on that Friday and Saturday.

The city of Leander will hold its Third Annual Bluegrass Festival, sponsored by Suddenlink, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Robin Bledsoe Park. Also that night, the Greater Leander Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual banquet, this year called “Leander's Best Party Ever,” which will be from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Reunion Ranch.

In addition to all this, the Leander Lions open the District 16-5A football season against 5A newcomer and Leander ISD rival Vista Ridge in the first-ever meeting between the schools. The 2nd Annual Leander Firefighter 5K will also be that Saturday at 8 a.m.

Briefly ...

The Leander council approved a new contract with Lightspeed Consulting as the city's independent contractor for network services. The financial amount is $72,000 per year, which includes one technician assigned to the city for 40 hours a week. ... The city awarded a contract to the Hunter Demolition and Wrecking Corporation for the demolition of tanks and a groundwater well on Sonny Drive. Hunter had the lowest and only bid of $102,347.50, which is lower than the estimated cost of $105,000. ... The next council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. at Pat Bryson Municipal Auditorium.

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