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Flower Mound approves budget; tax rate remains same
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
The Flower Mound Town Council on Monday approved its budget for the 2012-13 fiscal year along with the tax rate of 44.97 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
The tax rate remains the same as last year’s rate. That makes the 21st straight year the rate has stayed the same or decreased.
Flower Mound’s rate is the fourth-lowest among the town’s 16 comparison cities.
In terms of the budget, Flower Mound is expected to have $43,194,327 in revenue during 2012-13 and $43,254,734 in expenditures. The general fund is expected to end at $9,699,614, which puts the fund level at 22.36 percent. That surpasses the town charter’s requirement of maintaining 10 percent of the fund balance, as well as the town’s financial policy of keeping it at 15 percent.
Highlights of the budget include increasing Special Programs for Aging Needs (SPAN) funding by $1,505 to help maintain the current $6.50 riders fee. The council recently directed the town staff to incorporate this into the budget’s decision package.
Removed from the original decision package list was an animal services vehicle, which was expected to cost $29,000, and a development process representative ($48,000.)
Among the special revenue fund decision package items is $100,000 for a feasibility study for a new town hall and senior center and $20,000 for a tree canopy analysis.
Various capital improvement projects are on tap for the upcoming fiscal year, such as sidewalk links, a right-turn lane on Auburn Drive, a master transportation plan model update and a traffic signal project at the intersection of FM 2499 and College Parkway.
Street construction projects include Colony Street, Wood Creek Drive and phase II of Colonial Drive.
Parks projects include Braden-Bakersfield Park, improvements on Pink Evening Primose Trail and phase II of Heritage Park of Flower Mound.
There are also various water and wastewater projects scheduled.
Also Monday, the council amended its water system master plan to incorporate initiatives to address future water needs.
Town Engineer Edith Marvin said the town is contracted for 41 million gallons per day (mgd) of water but that by build-out in 2030, there is expected to be a need for 61 mgd.
The components include making use of reusable water and ground water, as well as conservation efforts.
Reuse water is an option that the town is already taking steps toward. Marvin said there has been 1.1 mgd of supply identified in the Lakeside Business District area, near the southern end of town. Since 2000, the town has begun installing a “purple pipe” infrastructure to allow certain parks, medians and landscape areas within Lakeside to use that type of water from the wastewater treatment plant for irrigation. However, until the system is complete, those areas will still use potable water.
Marvin said in the Denton Creek area in the far west side of town, 2.1 mgd is available.
Marvin also said the town has a take point in the Trinity River Authority of Texas reuse line that runs from a treatment plant in Roanoke to Grapevine Lake.
Also, Marvin said there is a potential supply of 1.25 mgd in groundwater available. However, that would likely come after Flower Mound’s contracted water runs out since it already has 10 mgd of water that’s not being used, and the town would have to spend money on wells to access the ground water.
In terms of conservation, Marvin said the town is surveying various cities and water districts to examine their conservation efforts. Then, with the help of the Environmental Conservation Commission (ECC), the town will establish conservation goals and come up with ideas.
She said there is 5.4 mgd to 13.7 mgd of water available through conservation.
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