City adopts 2007-08 budget
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

The Wharton City Council adopted its 2007-2008 budget Monday after taking special action to disclose the fact it will be generating more revenue from property taxes than in the previous year.

The $10.45 million budget will bring in about $79,000 more - largely thanks to new development in the city limits.

The City Council on Monday adopted a .51281 tax rate.

That's the effective tax rate, meaning that if applied to the same taxable property as last year, it would raise the same amount as the current tax rate. The current rate is .54997.

The new development actually allows the city to lower the tax rate and still generate more dollars for public use, City Manager Andres Garza said.

"It's always very important GILL.7205.Wharton.9.19 9/18/for us to add to our tax base. If we add to our tax base, that helps everybody," he said.

The city's $10.45 budget - not including transfers in or out - is broken down into several different funds: The General Fund has $4.6 million in appropriations; the Hotel/Motel Fund includes $46,900 in appropriations; the Narcotics Seizure Fund has $7,800 in appropriations; the DARE Fund has $61,150 in expenditures; the Debt Service Fund includes $555,363 in appropriations; the Capital Improvement Fund has $101,500 in appropriations; the Water and Sewer Fund has $2.57 million in appropriations; the Solid Waste Fund has $1.07 million in appropriations; the EMS Fund has $953,845 in appropriations; the Civic Center fund has $200,451 in appropriations and the Airport Fund has $186,855 in expenditures.