Combes budget OK'd; no health benefit cuts

COMBES - The Board of Aldermen approved a $1,328,721 budget for the upcoming year Wednesday, but Mayor Silver Garcia said he would fight any move to raise taxes to pay for it.

"We thought we were going to have to cut employee health coverage, but we didn't," Garcia said.

The budget includes 3 percent raises for all employees, but not the 5 percent raises Police Chief Brady Parker wanted for his officers.

Projected sales tax revenues from a Stripes convenience store on Expressway 77 of more than $100,000 during the upcoming year will make it possible to pay for workers' health insurance, the mayor said.

Garcia and the board held a heated discussion with residents Rene Estrada and Bob Wells, who live on Kilbourn Road, about plans to repair city streets, but not to pave their road with asphalt.

Many more residents live on Woods Road than Kilbourn, and Woods is in far worse condition, Garcia said.

Estrada argued that the town's tax rate should be raised at least 5 cents for each $100 in property tax values in order to pave Kilbourn Road and repair other streets.

"We were annexed (by the town) four years ago," Estrada said. "The county used to maintain the roads better than the city has the last four years."

But Garcia said it is unfair to low-income families to raise taxes.

"You knew it was a caliche road when you bought your place," Garcia said. "So you want to raise taxes?"

But Estrada said other small towns such as Rio Hondo and Primera have paved streets.

"My recommendation is that we catch up with the other cities in the county," Estrada said. "The sewer system doesn't work, there aren't any sidewalks for the kids to walk to school and there aren't any street lights."

Wells backed up Estrada.

"There are only five houses (on Kilbourn Road), but we pay good taxes," Wells said. "Those aren't slum houses."

But he is on a fixed income and would be satisfied if potholes were filled and the caliche road was graded, Wells said.

Alderwoman E. G. Cavazos said, "We've got people we would put in a homeless situation if we raise taxes."

The mayor agreed. "I can tell you that the people who elected me don't want a raise in taxes," he said.

Aldermen tabled action on a possible trash collection rate increase for Red River Service Corp. from $12.75 a month to $14, due to fuel price increases.