City cuts street funding in ‘08 budget

Sulema Guerrero Abete commanded attention at last Tuesday’s City Commission meeting, voicing a concern shared by many in the community.

“I want to be heard,” she told an attentive commission and complained of a lack of sidewalks in the city and her neighborhood.

“It’s a shame,” she said.

Abete lives on McDavitt Street and owns property on West Madison Street.

She came to City Hall to speak on behalf of all residents, particularly the elderly that reside on the 12 blocks between East Fronton Street to East Harrison Street, near the federal courthouse.

There are poor sidewalks or none at all in this area, she said, few walking trails and debris from the removal of railroad tracks litter the ground amid growing weeds. The streets are uneven and pedestrians must navigate between potholes and brush.

The city will allocate more funds for sidewalks in the new fiscal year budget approved this week.

Money for sidewalk construction was upped slightly, from $513,838 to $579,816.

“I am pretty sure they can work something out. They can afford it,” Abete said Friday.

“What I’m asking for is not out of this world. ... It would benefit everyone. It’s for the city.”

While sidewalks benefited from the City Commission’s budget negotiations, streets — a top concern voiced by most residents — will see considerably less funding.

The 2008 fiscal year budget contains $1.6 million less for street repair and maintenance, down to $2.6 million from $4.3 million.

Quality of streets and highways was the No. 1 concern identified by 3,400 participants in a survey conducted by Brownsville 2020 this spring. The Brownsville Herald and the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Center for Civic Engagement are partners in the project.

Since the new mayor and commissioners were seated in June, animal control and care, as well as fine arts and other “feel good” projects have dominated discussions at commission meetings.

These causes will see more funding in the new budget that was approved Monday during a special meeting.

The $84 million general fund budget has a $1.3 million deficit. City leaders also slashed funding for Public Works from $11.6 million to $9.6 million, beginning Oct. 1.

Funding in this area and others was cut in attempts to attain a balanced budget, a feat not accomplished.

Five million dollars from a 2001 bond issue are still available for street construction in the coming year.

Roughly $50 million in capital expenditures, including ambulances, special projects, and $4 million in new positions remained on the table, not funded or discussed publicly.

“I’m dealing with the cards I was dealt with,” Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr. said. “The city is facing a financial crunch that I inherited.”

Ahumada acknowledged that the new budget falls short of expectations.

“I feel very concerned because citizens expressed their needs for street paving, public safety and drainage and we are not doing enough to address those needs,” he said. “My obligation is to try to find funds for those needs and personnel and I am trying very hard.”

The new budget reflects slight spending increases in general government, sanitation and public health, and cuts in public safety, public works, and culture and recreation.

The city is collecting .650235 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation, generating $30.3 million in taxes this fiscal year. It expects to collect $32.3 million the coming fiscal year after a slight increase in the tax rate to .650517 cents.

Noting that the past commission dipped into reserves while decreasing the tax rate significantly, Ahumada said that these actions were done for “political gain” and contributed to the city’s financial situation.

“That hurts us now and it is unfortunate that the citizens have to pay the price of politics.”

Finance Director Pete Gonzalez said the allocation for street construction was more generous in the past year because surplus reserves were directed for that.

Gonzalez said that the city could perhaps issue debt to increase the allocation for street construction.

Also, the estimated fund balance at the end of this fiscal year is $13 million. The fund balance is maintained to be able to meet costs from the unexpected, such as hurricanes.

Assistant City Manager Carlos Ayala said that a reduction in funds won’t affect street improvements. “It doesn’t mean that we are not going to do work,” said Ayala, former public works director.

Road materials can be recycled and some streets don’t require that much repair, he explained.

Engineering Department Director Carlos Lastra said the city reconstructed 5.25 miles of streets last fiscal year and projects 5.45 miles of reconstruction this fiscal year, which ends this month.

There are roughly 685 miles of streets in the city, but Lastra did not immediately know how many are in need of repair.

“There are a lot of areas that need work and obviously, it gets more expensive each year, but we are still doing as much as we can,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abete plans to keep an eye out on the City Commission and warns she’s becoming more outspoken as she matures.

“I’ll be 75 in November,” she said. “I am not ashamed to speak out and I like to be heard.”