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City staff flags appraisal office budget changes and outlines staffing, HVAC and telecom issues
Summary
City staff notified council of an amended central appraisal budget for 2025 with notable salary adjustments; the city manager also announced a new public works director hire and briefed council on HVAC and phone-line problems affecting city facilities.
Lampasas City staff informed the council on March 17 of an amended budget from the central appraisal district for 2025 that includes several salary and benefit changes staff said could affect future city budgets. The council received the notice for information only; no council action was required on the appraisal district’s amendment.
Why it matters: Staff said the appraisal district can amend its budget during the year without formal approval from taxing entities, but those changes—particularly salary and benefit increases—could carry into next year’s tax and budget calculations. City staff flagged the chief appraiser salary as an example: packet discussion noted the chief appraiser’s pay would rise by roughly $40,000 to attract a qualified replacement, while other positions see mixed increases and decreases. Staff said some adjustments reflect new certifications and position reclassifications; other items were described as contractual or one-time expenses and will be clarified at the appraisal district’s next meeting.
City operations update: City Manager’s operational report announced the hiring of John McElroy as director of public works; McElroy will begin on April 1 and brings water utility and regulatory compliance experience from Liberty Hill and Georgetown. The manager also told council the Calvert Building’s HVAC system is unreliable: replacing a system controller (the “Intelligent Touch Manager”) would cost about $6,378 in parts plus labor and current repair estimates could push total near-term repair costs to roughly $20,000–$25,000. Staff said a full system replacement could cost substantially more and have a lead time of about 12 months; the city is considering transitioning to a simpler system to allow local technicians to maintain it.
Telecom and other facility notes: Staff said copper phone lines at the animal shelter failed and the incumbent carrier declined to replace them; that is prompting discussion of a move to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or similar modern services to ensure interoperability between facilities. Staff asked for council direction to seek local bids for HVAC replacement or repair, and to use previously earmarked bond funds for Calvert Building repairs if needed.
No formal council action was required for the appraisal notice or staffing announcements. Council did vote, by separate consent items later in the agenda, to approve routine minutes, surplus equipment disposals and several event permits; those consent-item votes were separate from the appraisal and operations briefings.
