FORT WORTH (WBAP/KLIF)- The city of Fort Worth will soon vote on a proposed $2 billion budget, but one councilman thinks they could save millions of dollars by cutting back on a few things.
District 4 councilman Cary Moon says he would ultimately like to bring the budget down to 8 to 16 million dollars. He said the city spends more than 16 thousand dollars on council meeting meals a year among other things. “Overall, the city of Fort Worth is a well-ran City. Over the last couple years, we have made great strides to cut waste and to reduce inefficiencies. Fort Worth can do better and has done better than what this budget represents,” Moon said.
Though the budget includes a property tax rate by about 3.75 cents, Moon said most homeowners will pay as the city increases some fees. “This budget includes an increase in property taxes, an increase in water utility, and an increase in storm water utility,” he said.
Moon sent WBAP/KLIF a list of Budget Oppositions that he will address at a Council Meeting next Tuesday:
1. Fort Worth is Hiring 35 more police officers, which is great. Let’s also address the time our police officers spend driving across town and waiting in line for an oil change on our police cars. We’d rather have our police on the streets opposed to waiting in line for an oil change.
2. Correct IT and processes on how we pay bills and process payroll.
3. Remove the $1M increase in mowing contracts. We are essentially paying 2 contractors to mow the same grass (ROW, Medians).
4. Oppose hiring a Police Monitor at a Salary of $180k + $70k in benefits to go and form a Police Oversight Committee when Mayor and Council have not voted to approve a Police Oversight Committee.
5. Correct reports for accounting and budgets so that Dept Heads can be better held accountable for the dollars they manage.
6. Address the time it takes the city to build/improve streets and sidewalks. It should not take several years to build a road or a sidewalk.
“I’d like the city to address these things over the next 12 months that should be priorities for us as we should be good suitors of our tax payer dollars,” said Moon.
