At the May 30 Edinburg City Council meeting, resident Fern McClarty used her three‑minute public comment to press the council for greater transparency about the city’s debt and budget decisions.

McClarty said the city’s outstanding debt is $136,479,857 and noted the annual budget is $164 million, which she said will be repaid over 20 years. She encouraged the council to give residents more input on spending priorities and to consider asking voters to approve budgets that rely on long‑term debt secured by property tax revenues.

“If this were my budget, the first thing I would cut is the high rise parking, the 67% increase in water rates, public golf courses, giving money to private developers to improve their business…” McClarty said, reading from prepared remarks. She also raised concerns about property‑value protests reported this year and argued that local spending decisions are made by those responsible for the spending.

Mayor and council members acknowledged her comments; the council did not take immediate action in response during the meeting. McClarty also had registered comments on specific agenda items (6a and 6c) related to grant proposals and zoning but the council proceeded to the scheduled public hearings and adopted the related items later in the meeting.