Above: Dumas City Commissioners Ben Maples, left, and Justin Wills vote to approve a 12-cent per $100 valuation property tax increase Tuesday.
The Dumas City Commission approved a balanced 2015/2016 annual budget Tuesday and approved two items expected to shore up that budget: an increase of the ad valorem tax (property tax) rate and amending the water rate tariff.
The commissioners approved the $16,103,152 budget, a 2.8 percent increase from 2014/2015. Revenues and expenditures balance in the budget as indicated in city records:
Revenues:
General Fund — $4,836,442
Waste Management Fund — $2,349,303
Gas Fund — $3,980,081
Water Fund — $2,950,126
Sewer Fund — $1,742,000
Golf Fund — $245,200
Expenditures:
General Fund — $5,849,712
Waste Management Fund — $2,403,679
Gas Fund — $3,450,955
Water Fund — $2,263,805
Sewer Fund — $1,676,454
Golf Fund — $458,546
City records show this is the second year since 2011/2012 that the budget is balanced.
The commissioners also approved a 12-cent per $100 valuation property tax increase. Beginning Oct. 1, residents will pay $0.290891 per $100 valuation. Of the 29 cents, 12 cents will be allocated for the general fund current expense, and the remainder will go toward retiring the interest on three tax bond requirements and refunding obligation Series 2015 debt requirements.
The second and final reading of the amended water tariff also passed Tuesday. Beginning Oct. 1, commercial and industrial consumers will pay $25.31 for 3,000 gallons of water per month. Each additional thousand gallons will be $3. Residential consumers will pay$20 for 3,000 gallons of water per month, and $3 for each additional thousand gallons.
