When it met for the second time in as many days, the Watonga City Council was faced with a weighty issue, the city budget approval. The budget had been discussed at length the previous evening.
The council moved quickly to approve the budget proposal as well as the budget amendments for the 2025-26 year, which will end June 30. This will rectify the amounts budgeted with the actual amount expended or the income anticipated. (See associated story Page 1) The city also approved as part of the consent agenda the annual contracts it makes with various groups and businesses. Those included CivicPlus for the city website, drug testing with Clean Slate Solutions, Friends of the Ferguson Home Museum, Harrison Mecklenburg for legal services, Sooner Technology for the security of the city’s electronic footprint, and the Watonga Community Theater. It also approved Palmer law and Roscom Law for the administration of city court, the school district for Huff Lorang Park, the agricultural lease for the land near Huff Lorang and Youth and Family Services for a youthful offender program.
The city had two invoices for the grit removal and water improvement projects. Council member Neal Riley asked, “How close are we to being done?”
City Manager Leroy Alsup told him they were very close. And there was more good news. “The funds are adequate for the punch list items,” he said.
The council also dealt with utility rates. The rates had been discussed at length during the budget workshop in May.
The proposal was for an annual change of rates based on the Consumer Price Increase. It also allowed the increase to be implemented without the council passing an ordinance.
The increase is in addition to any annual increase implemented as part of the budgeting process.
“Three percent is not as bad as shooting it down for the next five years and in the sixth year we are so far behind we have to have a 25% increase to keep the doors open,” Riley said.
Mayor Ryan Burner pointed out the council could, by a majority vote, choose not to implement the automatic increase and the ordinance could be severed if the council so chose.
Council member Tara Bomhoff voiced what everyone was thinking.
“People are already really struggling,” she said.
In the round, the item passed. The increase would take place in March and is anticipated at 3% this year.
Another item of major impact to residents is the addition of three bulk waste curbside pickup weeks. The increased collection dates and the repairs to the city’s convenience center – formerly known as the dump – are funded in part by the impact fees paid to the city by Core Civic, the company that operates the ICE detention center north of town.
“This is what we’ve been looking for,” said Riley. “This is amazing, with this and opening the convenience center.”
Cleaning up the city and trash removal have long been areas of ire among city leaders and residents.