Published: January 06, 2009 11:54 pm      

Royse City expresses optimism on outlook

ROYSE CITY — This growing Rockwall County city is entering the new year fiscally on the right track, according to interim city co-manager Larry Lott.

Lott is looking forward to the hiring of a city manager in 2009. The audit should be returned by May. He is also pleased with the city employees work through the fiscal year.

In fiscal news, Lott noted that for the last four months, September through December, sales tax has been higher than for the same period in 2007.

According to the Web site reports published by the Texas State Comptroller, Royse City had a 15 percent increase from 2007 to 2008 for the last reporting period. The year-to-date increase of 2008 over 2007 is .90 percent.

Property taxes are being collected on schedule by the Rockwall County Central Appraisal District, and it is expected they will be on target and allow the city to pay its tax note and bond payment on Feb. 15, Lott said.

The tax note is the money borrowed to pay the emergency loan taken out in September, after the city abruptly learned it had no money to pay its vendors, and the city manager was relieved of her duties.

Though total revenue is shy since the fiscal year started, total expenses are substantially less than projected, Lott said. “The city is doing much better than the budget projected,” he said.

Revenue is from property taxes, sales taxes, building permits, and water and sewer revenues.

Lott’s goal for 2009 is to get a city manager hired. “Finding a new city manager is my number one goal,” he said. A search firm has been selected, and the contract between it and the city should be finalized in these first few weeks of January. Three months are expected for the search and selection, with another month usually expected prior to the start. It could be late April before the city has a full-time, permanent city manager.

The audit firm Pattillo, Brown & Hill L.L.P. has been selected, the same one as last year. Its audit of 2007-2008 fiscal year is expected by May, when the council and staff enter a new round of budget setting.

Employees like Josh White and Dustin Hendon of the public works department, exemplified the work ethic and morale of the city employees, he said. The two men worked “most” of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day repairing a sewer leak on Gail Street. An outside contractor was brought in because of the need for manpower, Lott said.

No city employees received pay increases this year, but White and Hendon, and all the employees “take pride in keeping the city where it needs to be. They showed the spirit of the employees that are here.”