By NICK BUDD
Hays Post
City manager Toby Dougherty presented the Hays City Commission with suggested changes to the 2015 budget during Thursday night discussions about scheduling of the budget public hearing.
City staff is recommending commissioners fund the” quality of life” agencies Hays Arts Council, Ellis County Historical Society, Wild West Festival, and Sister Cities Advisory Board out of the Convention and Visitors Bureau fund.
The money for these agencies previously came from the economic development budget.
“The CVB is scheduled to pay off their building this year assuming that the one percent transient guest tax stays in place,” Dougherty said. “This budget could easily absorb those expenditures……it gets them out of our general fund which means more room is created for the police, fire and parks department and things like that.”
Commissioner Kent Steward brought up concerns about keeping the one percent transient tax in place. Steward stated he was not necessarily opposed to the shift of funds, but he simply felt they had it backwards.
“I think we should make that decision in another year and this does strike me as a good change,” Steward said. “The timing is just unfortunate, we’ve got to make a decision on whether we are raising taxes or not.
“You can’t spend the money out of that tax unless you budget it,” Dougherty emphasized. “If the commission chooses to let the transient guest tax go down and not keep it at the one percent up, then these (quality of life agencies) could be absorbed by the general fund.”
The commission would have to pass a resolution in order to keep the transient guest tax in place in order to fund the quality of life agencies once the CVB building is paid off. They will discuss adding this amendment into the budget next week.
“This tax is paid for by people that don’t live in Hays so I think these are good endeavors to fund,” Dougherty said.
Commissioners also voted unanimously to hold the 2015 budget hearing on August 14 at city hall. Dougherty reminded commissioners that the city can spend fewer dollars than budgeted, but not more.