Woodlands Villager - News
Township passes balanced 2009 budget
By T.L. HAMILTON
Despite earlier projections that had the The Woodlands Township operating in the red during 2009, the township passed a balanced budget during a Friday workshop.
Among the savings Brian Pate, financial consultant, cultivated was a drop in the proposed trooper bill rate from Alpha and Omega horse patrol, a private security company. The company asked for a 19 percent increase in pay from $34.83 per hour to $41.50 per hour for 700 contracted trooper hours per week.
The township was able to renegotiate the increase down to 9 percent.
Board member Peggy Hausman had disagreed with the township’s acceptance of the increase without asking other companies to produce bids.
“I think it was a success to come from 19 to 9 percent with no service lost,” Hausman said after the meeting. “But we need to bid all contracts publicly and bid for the best quality, service and economics.”
Additional savings were provided by the township’s decision to fund the Houston Regional Participation Agreement via a bank loan instead of seeking a bond sale, Pate said.
“With the Alpha and Omega change and the savings on the bonding anticipation approach, we were able to get a zero base balance with no deficit,” he said. “It feels great; I’m glad to get it done. We’ll be able to push on through 2009 and hopefully achieve consolidation among the organizations quickly.”
Hausman had pushed for a balanced budget in previous meetings.
“It is always important to have a balanced budget,” she said Friday. “That is not the way we should have started off a new form of government.”
She also said the township will have to move cautiously into the future transition.
“With the economy the way it is, we need to watch the budget and watch every dollar we spend,” she said. “We are based on a sales tax, so we need to move no further on projects until we see how the holiday season goes forward.”
Among the savings Brian Pate, financial consultant, cultivated was a drop in the proposed trooper bill rate from Alpha and Omega horse patrol, a private security company. The company asked for a 19 percent increase in pay from $34.83 per hour to $41.50 per hour for 700 contracted trooper hours per week.
The township was able to renegotiate the increase down to 9 percent.
Board member Peggy Hausman had disagreed with the township’s acceptance of the increase without asking other companies to produce bids.
“I think it was a success to come from 19 to 9 percent with no service lost,” Hausman said after the meeting. “But we need to bid all contracts publicly and bid for the best quality, service and economics.”
Additional savings were provided by the township’s decision to fund the Houston Regional Participation Agreement via a bank loan instead of seeking a bond sale, Pate said.
“With the Alpha and Omega change and the savings on the bonding anticipation approach, we were able to get a zero base balance with no deficit,” he said. “It feels great; I’m glad to get it done. We’ll be able to push on through 2009 and hopefully achieve consolidation among the organizations quickly.”
Hausman had pushed for a balanced budget in previous meetings.
“It is always important to have a balanced budget,” she said Friday. “That is not the way we should have started off a new form of government.”
She also said the township will have to move cautiously into the future transition.
“With the economy the way it is, we need to watch the budget and watch every dollar we spend,” she said. “We are based on a sales tax, so we need to move no further on projects until we see how the holiday season goes forward.”
Copyright © 2009 - Houston Community Newspapers Online