The Mineral Wells City Council spent extended time reviewing supplemental requests that staff will include in the proposed Fiscal Year 2025–26 budget, including a set of capital purchases, facility repairs and personnel requests across public works, parks and recreation, library, water and wastewater divisions.

Front‑of‑mind for council members was how to pay for deferred street work. City staff recommended the no‑new‑revenue tax rate of 0.5717881 as the baseline and outlined an option to use the voter‑approval rate plus the city’s unused increment (roughly 4¢) for one year to direct an additional amount — staff estimated just under $500,000 — to street improvements. City Manager Will Weeks said that combination “represents the deferred maintenance” and would create nearly $1.5 million for streets next year when combined with the current $800,000 street budget and other proposed additions.

Key budget clarifications: Weeks said the city expects to receive roughly $800,000 in one‑time funds returned from employer insurance premium savings (vacant positions) that can be used for one‑time capital purchases. For some items staff said financing (multi‑year lease/purchase) will be evaluated versus paying from one‑time funds.

Major departmental requests (selected highlights presented to council)

Public works / streets
- Dump truck: $185,000 requested to replace aging equipment. The city will consider either paying with one‑time funds or financing over 5–7 years.
- Increase in street materials: staff requested roughly a 10% increase to a current materials budget of about $900,000 to support more asphalt work.
- Facility repairs at the street barn and other building maintenance requests.
- Staff discussed adding an assistant public works director for succession planning and capital/project oversight; the proposed hiring range is roughly $100,000–$110,000.

Water and wastewater
- Utility capital items including a plotter, utility inspection vehicle, loader and replacement of meters. Staff requested an additional $100,000 for meters (about 100 meters) on top of $400,000 already budgeted; staff said approximately 1,000 meters may require manual reads because of battery or LTE limitations.
- Storage tank work: staff estimated a preliminary placeholder of about $500,000 for tank rehabilitation pending further inspection.
- Hydrant program: staff proposed funding to replace about 35 hydrants annually (estimated $2,000–$4,000 per hydrant) and creation of a valve/hydrant crew (three positions) to do in‑house replacements rather than contract work.
- Hilltop plant and Willow Creek study requests, equipment replacement and a mini excavator for plant repairs.

Parks and recreation / cemetery / pool
- West City Park playground replacement (existing equipment from 1996, parts manufacturer no longer in business) and accessible surfacing.
- Storybook trail behind the library and playground enhancements tied to trust funds and parks funding.
- Pool upgrades including commercial‑grade pool furniture, lifeguard stands, perimeter security cameras, a weather‑detection system with text notifications and a possible future deck resurfacing.
- Cemetery stonework and pavilion repairs; staff noted some cemetery work may be eligible for use of the cemetery trust fund subject to verification.

Library
- Assistant library manager position requested to manage growth in programs, grants, collection development and supervision (subtotal cited at $63,009.60; presented as recurring cost).
- Replacement of seven public PCs with Windows 11 units (7 units at $2,003 each, three‑year warranty; total presented as $16,001.14).
- Renovation of restrooms: men’s restroom estimate $27,275; women’s restroom estimate $25,275; upgrades include touch‑free fixtures and improved privacy.

Budget framing and council direction
Council members discussed the trade‑offs of tax rate choices, the timing of debt versus pay‑as‑you‑go, and public expectations for visible improvements. Several council members said they favored using the voter‑approval rate plus the unused increment to direct a substantial, visible investment in streets next year; one council member summarized the political and practical appeal as “something tangible that you can actually go out, see, play, and enjoy.” Staff cautioned that using the unused increment consumes the one‑year capacity to increase the rate and the increments would need to rebuild over subsequent years.

Next steps: Staff will prepare the formal proposed budget for the next council meeting with the supplemental requests packaged for council consideration and will provide more detailed cost estimates and financing options for large capital items.