Corpus Christi's city manager proposes $1.4 billion budget for fiscal year 2023
Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni's proposed $1.4 billion municipal budget for fiscal year 2023 would be the city's largest if it's approved by the City Council in September.
City Council took a first look at the budget during its regular meeting Tuesday. No action was taken.
The budget would allocate $136.4 million for streets with $46.4 million for maintenance, $66 million for arterial and collector road reconstruction and $24 million for residential reconstruction. This year's budget funded $121 million for street work.
If the measure is adopted by City Council, street funding would total nearly $336 million invested over three years.
"The proposed fiscal year 2023 record-setting budget reflects Corpus Christi's economic growth and continued investment that allows the city to better address community needs including public safety, streets, water and wastewater infrastructure and parks," Zanoni said.
The city's property tax rate is proposed to remain the same at 0.64 cent per $100 value, but property taxes are slated to increase due to higher appraisal values.
The city is projected to receive $6 million more in property taxes in fiscal year 2023 compared to fiscal year 2022. Appraisal values have increased this year by 20% to 24% for residential properties and 26% to 30% for commercial properties. Ad valorem tax growth is projected to grow by 1.83% for new growth and 11.52% for reappraisals.
Sales tax revenue is projected to increase by 9.1%, or $5.8 million over this year. All other revenues are expected to be $11 million more.
The proposal would add 25 new police officer positions, bringing the total count to 491. Fifteen of the positions would be funded by the Crime Control District, and 10 would be funded by the city's general fund. Twenty-four firefighter positions would also be added, for a total of 446.
This change is in response to Mayor Paulette M. Guajardo's commitment to hire more public safety personnel.
For city utilities, water, wastewater and gas would not see a rate increase. However, storm water services are projected to increase $1.57 a month for a typical residential customer and solid waste would increase $1.15 a month.
The general fund would be $331.5 million, which is a 10.7% increase over this year's general fund of $299.3 million. Enterprise funds would be $255.4 million, special revenue funds would total $155.4 million, debt funds would amount to $122.5 million and the capital budget would sum up to $558.6 million.
Before considering the measure, City Council will make suggestions during four workshops where city departments will outline their budgets. There will also be five community input sessions.
Council will consider approving the proposed 2023 budget on Aug. 30 and Sept. 6. The budget would take effect on Oct. 1.
This is the fourth city budget Zanoni has developed. He started as city manager in spring 2019.
Want to give input?
Here's when community input sessions are:
District 1 — 6 p.m. Aug. 8 at Owen R. Hopkins Library
District 2 — 6 p.m. Aug. 10 at Del Mar College Center for Economic Development, room 106
District 3 — 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at Water Utilities building, Choke Canyon room
District 4 — 6 p.m. Aug. 15 at Ethyl Eyerly Senior Center
District 5 — 6 p.m. Aug. 17 at Veterans Memorial High School
What's in the proposed budget:
Police
Addition of 25 new police officer positions
Two Police Academies, July 2023 and October 2023
Officer position converted to police captain: $50,000
Additional funding for overtime: $250,000
Funding for BearCat armored vehicle: $400,000
Funding for 10 unmarked vehicles: $250,000
Funding of 3D scanner, comparison microscope and crime scene lighting: $165,000
Construction of new Police Training Academy at Del Mar College south campus to begin in fiscal year 2023: $21.1 million
Fire
Addition of 24 new firefighter positions, eight for a new medic unit and 16 for four-person staffing of fire trucks
Fire Academy scheduled for January 2023
One additional medic unit, which increases units from 13 to 14: $540
Replacement of alerting system: $350,000
New fire records management system: $200,000
Purchase of two replacement 75-foot ladder trucks: $2.8 million
Construction of a replacement Fire Station No. 3 on Morgan Avenue: $10.7 million as approved in fiscal year 2022 with additional $2.5 million added in fiscal year 2023
Funding for new Emergency Operations Center building planning and assessment: $100,000
Streets
Add four positions for right of way management team: $660,000
Add three positions for new street and traffic engineering survey crew and one engineer for plan review: $400,000
Five pedestrian mobility and safety projects: $2.75 million
Funding for new street median for Kostoryz and Masterson: $365,000
Funding traffic signal battery backup system installation: $150,000
Funding for new high-intensity activated crosswalk signal at Staples and Barry streets: $224,000
Ocean Drive sustainability 10-year program included in Capital Improvement Program: this calls for an ultra thin overlay in year five of the recently reconstructed street and a complete mill and overlay in year 10. For fiscal year 2023, $153,000 would be budgeted for crack sealing and flatwork improvements.
Downtown Water Street water and wastewater line replacement: $8 million
Convert 15,000 streetlights to LED fixtures: $2.1 million; some funding was approved in the fiscal year 2022 budget
Two new gateway signs with lighting at on Interstate Highway 37, U.S. 181 and at Labonte Park: $2.31 million
Industrial and commercial area enhancements
Industrial Park roadway reconstruction: $4.3 million; Doberman Street from Bay Drive to Hull Drive, Pyrenees Street from Bay Drive to Dalmatian Drive, Bay Drive from Yorktown Boulevard to Schnauzer Street, Industrial Park roadway land and title work
Leopard Street engineering study to prepare a plan for future reconstruction of the street from Lantana Street to Tuloso Road: $500,000
Leopard Street business facade improvement match program: $250,000
Consultant(s) to augment city team to renew industrial district agreements: $200,000
Parks
Funding for park amenities in all five council districts: $2 million
Funding for Cole Park Plaza shade structure: $1.95 million
New dog park in Flour Bluff: $550,000
Funding for Swantner Park lighting improvements: $250,000
Five maintenance positions for Bayfront Parks and Seawall, including at Selena Mirador: $215,000
Funding for athletic fields mowing contract: $120,000
Funding for maintenance of West Guth and Sherwood dog parks: $66,000
Funding for maintenance of North Padre Island beach storage facility: $100,000
Add three positions and vehicles for expanded Gulf Beach cleaning: $206,000
Add two lifeguards and one beach compliance officer and vehicles/equipment for Gulf Beaches: $340,000
Add one safety outreach coordinator for the Junior Lifeguard Program and Beach Safety Education campaign: $117,000
North Beach initiatives
Four lifeguards and vehicles for a new lifeguard unit on North Beach for summer season: $107,000
Merchant and vendor pilot incentive program on the beach: $100,000
North Beach Historical Plaza shade structure: $835,000
North Beach restroom and parking lot project: $2.5 million in hotel occupancy tax funding
New North Beach Eco Park design proposed in Bond 2022: $100,000
New Gulf Beach restroom facility
New facility with restrooms, showers, a parking area, lifeguard lockers and equipment storage on Zahn Road adjacent to the Gulf Beach and Packery Channel: $4.5 million in hotel occupancy tax funding
Economic development
Create new Economic Development Office to centralize economic development activity under one department
Realign four existing positions and add one business and economic coordinator and one department administrator: $275,000
Continuation of contract and funding for the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp. and Downtown Management District: $1.7 million
Health Department
Add two environmental public health inspectors: $102,000
Add one public health technician: $45,000
Move one environmental air quality scientist from Public Works to Health Department: $84,000
Health Department building, three-phase renovation project: $5.4 million in Capital Improvement Program for phase one of three
Vital Statistics
Add two vital records clerks for issuance of birth and death certificates: $98,000
Library
Add one librarian position and replacement of library patron computers: $138,000
Security guard service for all operating hours at five library branches: $110,000
Funding for library capital repairs: $250,000
La Retama Central Library emergency generator: $500,000
Location study for new branch library in district 5: $100,000
Animal care
Add one veterinary assistant and conversion of one temporary veterinary assistant to full time: $70,000
Add three full-time animal care kennel technicians and two dispatchers: $240,000
Additional spay and neuter funding: $500,000
Municipal Court
Increase part-time judges’ hours for magistration services in the evenings, weekends and holidays: $75,000
Add two court clerks: $115,000
Municipal Court operations review: $50,000
Communications
Additional overtime funding for new 311 Customer Call Center: $19,000
Additional funding for training and event advertising: $97,000
Auditor
Addition of one staff auditor: $71,000
Hotel occupancy tax budget
Funding for Visit Corpus Christi: $5.9 million
Convention Center capital funding: $3.3 million
Funding for South Texas Art Museum, Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center and Texas State Aquarium: $1.3 million
Airport
New outdoor concourse patio project: $800,000 over two years
Terminal building roof replacement and window glazing project: $2.5 million
Terminal building restrooms, nursing room and service animal relief area project: $3.6 million over two years
Development Services
Add two plan examiners and one permit technician positions: $163,000
Add one records management specialist: $63,000
Add seven inspector positions plus vehicles and equipment: $742,000
Implement year two of four-year plan to adjust fees to market level
Water
Add seven positions to create an additional valve construction and preventative maintenance team: $560,000
Add one work coordinator to manage purchasing and inventory: $78,000
Convert nine temporary positions to full time at the utility business office: $190,000
Improvements to O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant: $195 million over the next three years with $55 million in fiscal 2023
Replacement and repairs of water lines citywide: $148 million over the next three years with $50 million in fiscal year 2023
Wastewater
Add two positions for pretreatment inspections: $199,000
Add nine positions wastewater repairs and construction projects: $940,000
Add two positions for lift station maintenance: $154,000
Add three positions and vehicles to assist with work orders: $480,000
Add eight positions to expand the concrete and restoration division, $711,000
Add four positions for Laguna Madre and Whitecap WWTP: $180,000
For all six wastewater treatment plants, capital improvements investment of $157 million over the next three years with $39 million in fiscal year 2023
For lift stations, capital improvements investment of $66 million over the next three years with $34 million in FY 2023
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: City manager proposes $1.4 billion city budget for fiscal year 2023
