HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/29/1996
MINUTES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD
WORK SESSION
OCTOBER 29, 1996
6:30 p.m.
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
Present:
Board
Gary McClure, President
Tommy Thompson, Vice President
Ronnie Fischer, Treasurer
Mary Watts, Council Member
John Dillard, Council Member
Staff
Dennis Watson, Staff Liaison
Others
Tim Barnes
Absent
Jerry Sebastian
Rick Manser
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mr. McClure called the meeting to order at 6:50 p.m-
2. ROLL CALL
3. DISCUSSION ON POSSIBILITY OF STAGING A 1/2 CENTS SALES TAX
CAMPAIGN
Mr. Watson handed out a facsimile he had received from Worth Blake regarding the services Bill
Shelton, a consultant on sales tax election, could provide to the Board. Mr. Watson stated that
Mr. Shelton would be available to come and speak with the Board on Thursday, November 7.
The Board discussed the possibility of having a joint work session with Council to introduce the
idea of the 1 cents sales tax.
The possibility of having a consultant attend the work session and make a presentation on a 1 /2
day work shop he could provide to the City to guide them through the sales tax election process
was also discussed. Mr. Watson informed the board that the January election date is set for the
third Saturday in January.
He stated that there is a minimum 45-day posting period for calling the election. Mr. Watson
stated that the cost for holding a special election is allocated to the City Secretary's budget.
The Board decided it would be best to go for a full 1 cent as opposed to a 1/2 cent. A 1 cent tax
allows for the use of 1/2 cent for 4A purposes and a 1/2 cent for 4B purposes.
Mr. McClure stated that the Board needed to decide on the areas under 4A and 4B that they
would target in the elections and that the Board needed to decide on a date. Mr. Dillard stated
that he felt targeting a January election date had several advantages, including: a low voter
turnout which could favor a yes vote, a January vote would take out the politics of a May
election, and the possibility of restrictions of sales tax corporations in the upcoming Texas
Legislature. Mr. McClure stated that if the Board decides on a January election they need to
work backwards from the election date and come up with deadlines that they will have to meet.
The Board agreed that having unanimous Council support and education of the public would be
critical to putting on a successful election. The Board decided that it would be a good idea to
include Council in on the sales tax and the consultant idea before either item is placed on the
Council agenda. In this manner Council has been made a partner in the process and are not
caught off-guard with this proposal from the EDC.
The Board requested that Mr. Watson prepare a memo for Coucil informing them that the EDC is
considering staging a 1 cent sales tax election in January. The Board requested that the memo
include examples of methods other cities have used to inform the public on how the funds would
be utilized. The Board also wanted included in the memo the importance of holding the election
in January as opposed to May or later.
The Board discussed possible ways to promote the sales tax campaign. Some of the ideas
included: brochures, phone banks, and volunteers. The Board also discussed the possibility of
requesting Council to authorize funds for some of the expenses such as printing brochures. Mr.
Dillard estimated the Board would need at least a $5,000 - $6,000 budget to find an election.
The possibility of including the Chamber of Commerce and other civic organizations in on the
campaign was also discussed. Discussion followed on whether a 4A Board of Directors needed
to be in place before the elect's es place. There being no further business the meeting was
adjourned at 8:00 p.m
R s~ectfully Submitted, Dennis Watson, Staff Liaison