[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6536674,"mediaKeyId","3736712-d362bf1a0eb47dbe7efab3f0ec230e48","parentId",3736712,"title","Votes at a glance: Balch Springs council approves internet contract, capital financing notice, park projects and meeting-time change","audioSeconds",389,"startMs",4996000,"endMs",5385000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3736712-d362bf1a0eb47dbe7efab3f0ec230e48&start=4996&end=5385","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3736712-d362bf1a0eb47dbe7efab3f0ec230e48/thumbnail_4996000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6536674/Balch-Springs/Dallas-County/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-Balch-Springs-council-approves-internet-contract-capital-financing-notice-park-projects-and-meeting-time-change","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6536674-4eca3f3575f1d868e0a073303f0a7135/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150566&Signature=TDwD~XGjBXs7Rs-ixgjcM-vI36JORfubZTDKoIzcWiAbd9ottHa76RR8SpB2rDgbbs-zpP7fd2lLCczF1RStOWQ6ONIovLR256-N-DMGPL64u71wOaDonK50wT8DheUbUz~zXydUbkFivSfMkCaFdIUGxivLJ-6GEv-mRy~gO16yZdPjXUrYNBVXbCD8nEpZWYZOd3Uosk1aHL82U820nTwMjLDyLPm6gpHSJpou0AtSBeGKn6LtVF64z8DbQuE01874AvTMHIvLvEbwAe1kxpSALXpEeJc1Gc~8vTUEPi9tNprtyQ4jlguFlTczThc1-o8521ZH8VdAp6jYUcxdQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Balch Springs","date","2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","article","The Balch Springs City Council voted on multiple items during its June 9 meeting. Key outcomes included approval of a three-year internet service contract, direction to publish notice of intent to issue certificates of obligation for capital projects, funding for park and trail projects, and a change to the council’s regular meeting start time.

Highlights and vote results:

- Internet service provider: Council approved a three-year contract with NITEL (presented as a 3-year, not-to-exceed $45,000 annually quote) to provide Internet services for multiple city facilities, citing price and service guarantees. Vote: Hill — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Garcia — yes; Gabriel — yes; Patino — yes; Miles — yes; Salal — yes.

- Certificates of obligation (notice of intent): Council directed the city secretary to publish notice of intent to issue combination tax and revenue certificates of obligation not to exceed $14,000,000 to fund streets, parks and city-center projects; the notice was scheduled for publication and a petition period follows statutory timelines. Vote: Hill — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Garcia — yes; Gabriel — yes; Patino — yes; Miles — yes; Salal — yes.

- Splash pad controller upgrade: Council approved funding not to exceed $40,280.36 for a controller upgrade at Walter A. Luedecke Park to improve water efficiency. Vote: Hill — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Garcia — yes; Gabriel — yes; Patino — yes; Miles — yes; Salal — yes.

- Guyberry Park sidewalk and trail: Council approved up to $110,000 to install approximately 2,200 feet of sidewalk/trail at Guyberry Park to connect to the city master trails plan. Vote: Hill — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Garcia — yes; Gabriel — yes; Patino — yes; Miles — yes; Salal — yes.

- Utility billing policy adoption: Council adopted a formal utility-billing policy/service agreement that standardizes account setup, payments, dispute handling and staff procedures. Vote: Hill — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Garcia — yes; Gabriel — yes; Patino — yes; Miles — yes; Salal — yes.

- Council meeting start time amendment: Council approved an amendment to Article 2, Section 2-41, changing regular meeting start time to 6:30 p.m. (with an approximate end time referenced). Recorded votes included two members voting no; the motion passed. Vote: Hill — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Garcia — yes; Gabriel — no; Patino — yes; Miles — yes; Salal — no.

- Economic development agreement amendment: Council approved an amendment and reinstatement of an economic development performance agreement with Mot Springs Alexander LLC (Alexander Village mixed-use development) for incentives not to exceed $5,000,500. Vote: Hill — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Garcia — yes; Gabriel — yes; Patino — yes; Miles — yes; Salal — yes.

- Consent agenda: Council approved consent items including minutes from prior meetings and resolutions supporting adoption of the Dallas County 2025 Hazard Mitigation Action Plan and several TxDOT funding/advance-agreement resolutions for sidewalk and trail improvements. Vote: Motion passed unanimously as recorded.

Ending: For ordinance-level or bond-related items, the council scheduled subsequent publication and statutory petition periods as required; staff will present final financing terms at a later meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Balch Springs - City Council - Jun 09, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its June 9 meeting the council approved a multi-year internet service contract, directed publication for up to $14 million in certificates of obligation, funded park projects and unanimously passed other agenda items; vote tallies and key specifics are listed below.","taxTitle","Balch Springs, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",69448,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6536679,"Balch Springs finance director reports April 2025 results; franchise fees, property taxes ahead of plan",425,1913000,2338000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3736712-d362bf1a0eb47dbe7efab3f0ec230e48&start=1913&end=2338","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3736712-d362bf1a0eb47dbe7efab3f0ec230e48/thumbnail_1913000.jpg","/articles/6536679/Balch-Springs/Dallas-County/Texas/Balch-Springs-finance-director-reports-April-2025-results-franchise-fees-property-taxes-ahead-of-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6536679-d238c7f08e4acff3dfc6f1b281221680/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150566&Signature=K-BQi5GDBxRbhdb7zhho0M6kgoJtKxLIRcUOBRNKpL7FVjNly9Oe~Qi7veaUwgY5AshxDiUmkdikUFerWBfY71Zyxh6TZWXx2O865hJqOIHPDlKjpBTk94oKSzdm-6PTIjERon8yYyEA-bf~HoK3HZjbDRiifqPp0TMoE8wFAR3vfReekxSwnADwdw5-wnPuFahcwj1tnikktgalvl43VDrkrx5vUDabAbP19rR4owHF6n-lePHDmzMEqZ6e8G8q-tDydzEER8y5rEiaKEZ9MYlds8AMpJY0Kom-Ko9dU1WKD7NTbleMFFLYiIGfW41cedrcotACMUOcu150d5Ss7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tam Beatty, Balch Springs chief financial officer, presented the April 2025 monthly financial report, telling the council that franchise fees and property-tax collections exceeded expectations and that several accounting and system changes will move into May figures.

Beatty reported property-tax collections at 102.2% of expected levels and franchise fees above projections for the month, noting Encore had paid franchise fees for the year. Sales tax receipts were at 33.78% but recorded in arrears; Beatty said the city began journalizing sales tax as collected. She also said interest earnings were below budget at 23.77% and that the city reallocated deposits into an investment account to improve yields; interest allocation across funds will be updated in May after a budget amendment.

Other figures Beatty reported: building-permit-driven licenses and permits at about 70.9% of budget, fines and forfeitures at about 80.6% (traffic tickets up), utility fund revenue at 64.15% year-to-date, water tap fees at 17.16%, vehicle-replacement fund revenue at 83.6% and debt-service revenue near 96.9% with expenditures to follow larger scheduled payments in August.

Beatty said the finance team has been reconciling accounts, correcting balances and working through the transition to new systems; some revenues will trend lower in the near term because of reconciliation adjustments. She said a prior budget amendment will be reflected in May once council’s prior approval is recorded in the monthly statements.

Ending: Council received the report; Beatty answered members’ questions about collections, online payment fees and staffing for customer service and billing.","CFO Tam Beatty presented the April 2025 monthly financial report showing franchise fees and property-tax collections above expectations, sales tax collected in arrears and certain investment and revenue accounting changes that will appear in May financials after budget amendment.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6536683,"Auditors give Balch Springs clean opinion; note one ARPA compliance timing finding",1042,854000,1896000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3736712-d362bf1a0eb47dbe7efab3f0ec230e48&start=854&end=1896","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3736712-d362bf1a0eb47dbe7efab3f0ec230e48/thumbnail_854000.jpg","/articles/6536683/Balch-Springs/Dallas-County/Texas/Auditors-give-Balch-Springs-clean-opinion-note-one-ARPA-compliance-timing-finding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6536683-178bc3e28376cdd7d9030f07328acb1f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150566&Signature=XUBMRk5ZDaddqth7Z5RLERzw-zB6jUpFTkE3Rmc5uy~sMO7VDPSgBAzfgvNo7zJPT6HAPC4eqcKIdoQY5kO9dveVJLgchgDm0IJ8U6HwbgcVDX2Cp7jLgqkAq2xxoBsUW2Vh53Dis8093BJiWTA5Ptm9Xj6b4FFM89T93BvqvomqZNqfuBhSJKTcWru9avn4mP1t5Ul7oGPv7QIYXySUnUl1e1jiCMofgtqGOwWmPpMJ5CH7MQtSBoGSETJaNIj25pLK97xwL7YftrELIWYArX-rn28wNICr8oVb51fF9hfjAOSGPGfWMIif0q28Gfk6OLm6w0suzqWIdheLn~dpaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Auditors from Weaver Tidwell told the Balch Springs City Council Monday they will issue an unmodified (clean) opinion on the city’s fiscal year 2024 financial statements and the federal single audit.

Claire Wooten, director in the firm’s public-sector assurance practice, presented the audit results and told council the auditors identified no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting. The single-audit opinion will also be unmodified; auditors classified the city as a “low-risk auditee,” she said.

Wooten described a single compliance finding related to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The finding involved a late submission of the required annual program and expenditure report for ARPA funds; auditors said the late filing occurred under the prior finance director. Wooten said the report for fiscal 2025 was submitted by the April 30 deadline under the current finance director, and auditors termed that corrective action as already completed for the next reporting period.

The auditors noted the audit process was delayed by internal staffing turnover and by the city’s conversion to new financial and payroll systems. Wooten said those timing issues did not result in adjustments that affected the auditor’s opinion or reveal material deficiencies. She also outlined standard audit procedures including testing journal entries, controls over cash disbursements and payroll, sampling of utility-billing transactions and testing of federal-award compliance.

Ending: The auditors will issue the formal reports with an unmodified opinion; council did not take formal action on the presentation but accepted the audit communication and thanked staff and the audit team.","Independent auditors reported an unmodified opinion on the city’s FY2024 financial statements and single audit, and noted a single compliance finding for a late annual ARPA program and expenditure report that staff said was corrected for 2025.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6536688,"Balch Springs approves billing audit fixes, policy and retroactive account adjustments after staff findings",2393,2345000,4738000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3736712-d362bf1a0eb47dbe7efab3f0ec230e48&start=2345&end=4738","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3736712-d362bf1a0eb47dbe7efab3f0ec230e48/thumbnail_2345000.jpg","/articles/6536688/Balch-Springs/Dallas-County/Texas/Balch-Springs-approves-billing-audit-fixes-policy-and-retroactive-account-adjustments-after-staff-findings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6536688-ba14bd142c337ed64b6736d455123d65/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150566&Signature=kQw0vWOC1IyNIX0Dlmxwh7449ZVvX6dV3hdQyVJUzcQvg43kJmYxiD6~iJzpF~2GEyFgwwOZeR7ynCXHF2p19hH9Sze106yQJity-KSuPInkGS-BZNrgY~7kNoBzSCQClbelnFNa2ykXutrqKUG3eDeE-KHrehYe2ZHkqKE8-Sg9rHb3AtztIrFcQ1b2BFaOhh7XPzUkOZoh5gGMLf5uby4yKhjzaZ7CmOdZOVq1STmiivA6LxjvUTT35x81y3hHXushQDzMUrWLTX~U2kjZNOf-C9YQC1XhT09pXgFOods4Slvx43A0qShba-41t5cMKT8LmxqLxTFmFUhb9KDARQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Balch Springs City Council on Monday approved staff recommendations to correct utility-billing errors, issue credits for overbilled accounts and recover underbilled amounts for the period Jan. 1, 2024, through the present, and adopted a formal utility-billing policy to standardize account handling.

City staff told the council an internal audit of utility billing found multiple account-setup errors, meter serial-number mismatches, missing reads and instances where customers were charged minimum (base) bills for extended periods instead of usage-based billing. The council voted unanimously to allow staff to apply verified credits and pursue recoveries where audit findings show underbilling or overbilling.

The measures come after staff described several high-profile corrections, including one apartment account adjustment described by staff as exceeding $103,000 and multiple residential accounts receiving adjustments in the hundreds of dollars. Staff said some errors dated back into 2022 and that correcting complex accounts can require coordination with field crews, meter-system vendor records and the city’s billing software. Council approved a staff recommendation to limit retroactive adjustments and collection activity to the window of Jan. 1, 2024, through the present.

City staff told council the response includes technical fixes, revised procedures, staff training and new supervisory controls. Specific steps listed to improve accuracy and transparency included: verifying meter serial numbers against meter IDs that feed the automatic read system; flagging and reviewing unusually large-consumption bills; requiring supervisor approval for high-consumption adjustments; adding audit logs for manual edits; weekly operational coordination among utility billing, customer service and field crews; and customer communications and education materials on the city website.

Council also adopted a written utility-billing policy that spells out account setup, deposit and identification requirements, payment and disconnection procedures, dispute and appeal routes, and protections such as language access and data-privacy measures. Staff said the policy is intended to create a single, consistent framework so residents and businesses know how accounts are handled and what to expect when errors surface.

During discussion council members asked whether staff had reviewed every account (staff said they had not; work prioritized accounts flagged by customer complaints and additional spot checks), how business and landlord accounts are handled, and whether the city would offer payment plans when a corrected balance is owed. Staff said they will contact affected customers, explain corrections and, when appropriate, offer payment arrangements rather than immediate collections.

The council motion to authorize adjustments and recovery passed with the following recorded votes: Council member Hill — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Garcia — yes; Council member Gabriel — yes; Council member Patino — yes; Council member Miles — yes; Council member Salal — yes.

Council commentary highlighted the customer-service impacts of past billing errors and stressed the need for clear communication. Staff said more than 75 adjustments had already been made in recent months and that some complex accounts require extended analysis, particularly when adjustments must be applied across different rate structures and billing-system conversions.

Ending: Staff will proceed with the corrections and implementation of the new policy, and council asked that the city post a general notice on utility bills and on the city website explaining that some residents may see adjustments or spikes while the audit corrections are applied.","City council approved an internal audit response and a utility-billing policy after staff described systematic billing setup errors, several large account corrections and a program to limit adjustments to Jan. 1, 2024–present.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Balch Springs council approves internet contract, capital financing notice, park projects and meeting-time change

Balch Springs finance director reports April 2025 results; franchise fees, property taxes ahead of plan

Auditors give Balch Springs clean opinion; note one ARPA compliance timing finding

Balch Springs approves billing audit fixes, policy and retroactive account adjustments after staff findings