Jasper council approves budget, discusses drainage

JASPER - by Steve Stewart/KJAS - The Jasper City Council met on Monday evening at City Hall and adopted a new budget, and entered into a dialogue regarding flooding issues on a street on the east side of town.

While keeping the tax rate unchanged at .1482% per $100.00 taxable value, council passed a $21.9 million dollar budget. The 2008 budget was set at 22.8 million dollars, and the city finished the year in the black at $21.9 million.

Council also discussed a flooding problem on Birch Street, which effects two homeowners.

Entering into a discussion on the matter, Mayor Mike Lout said that he wants the City of Jasper to quickly come up with a solution to the problem, including the possibility of the city buying the two homes that are prone to flooding.

Lout said that he felt that because the problem has not been corrected because of the side of town that it is occurring on. However, Public Works Director Greg Kelly pointed out that there is also a problem with flooding on Creek Bend on the west side of town, with three homes effected.

City Council Member Gloria Monzingo pointed out that it's not a matter of which side of town you live on, they are all taxpayers.

Monzingo, referring to those on Birch Street, said "why can't they just move?", and went on to say that it seemed unfair to offer a buyout to residents on Birch Street, without offering help to those on Creek Bend.

At the suggestion of Kelly and with the approval of council, Mayor Lout asked City Attorney Michael Stewart Ratcliff to study the possibility of a city buyout, and council chose to table the issue and call a special meeting - probably this coming Monday - to hear Ratcliff's findings.

In other action, council approved sending a request to the Texas Department of Transportation to designate a stretch of South Wheeler Street, in front of the new Vista Academy, as a school zone.