Cordell City Council held their budget hearing and approved the City’s budget for the fiscal year 2023/2024 at their meeting Monday night, June 12th.
Dacia Phillips of RSMeacham CPAs was on hand to present financial reports and guide the Council through the proposed budget. She explained to the Council and those in the audience that the City’s water department has operated at a loss during the current year and is projected to continue to sink further to unacceptable margins unless water rates are increased to Cordell’s citizens.
It was calculated that utilities would need to rise at least 3.51% across the board to combat that loss. The Council voted to apply the entire 20.5% increase to the water rate only.
Council President Sheri Parsons and other councilmen expressed their concern that this would place hardship upon the most financially vulnerable members of our population, especially the elderly and disabled who rely upon Social Security to make ends meet.
While it was agreed that the rate increase is unavoidable, the Council will be researching the possibility of applying the increase only to those households who use more than the minimum gallons per month, or other ways to ease the burden on those with a fixed income. This discussion will be continued at a future meeting.
In other Council business, the Cordell Gun Club presented a proposal that would allow them to use City-owned land near their current shooting range to create an area for Sport Clay shooting. No money was requested in their proposal, as volunteers would be doing the work of prepping and clearing the land and obtaining the necessary equipment. It was noted that Cordell would be able to host shooting events that would have a significant economic impact as well as provide Cordell’s youth with skills that could earn them scholarships. Council was receptive to this idea but had to table voting until the next meeting so that the item could be properly posted on the agenda.
Also discussed was the needed demolition of a city-owned dilapidated building on the square next to Bully Dreamz dispensary. Mayor Kliewer reported that he had spoken with contractors who believe the façade of the building could be saved while removing the body of the building. A budget figure of $150,000 was entered for that demolition.
Council members discussed putting this item off until a future year to help ease strains on the already tight budget, but hazards to the public and to privately owned buildings on either side of the property necessitate swifter action.