Everman city manager lays out budget priorities, regional partnerships and federally funded Safe Streets project at community forum

City Manager Craig Spencer addressed a community town-hall on Everman's budget priorities Wednesday evening, telling residents the council has pushed for lower property taxes and that the city expects to lower its total tax rate to below $1.00 per $100 valuation this year.

Spencer, who led the presentation and introduced staff tables for one-on-one conversations, framed the strategy around regional partnerships and targeted investments. "We've brought all the staff in here to work with you 1 on 1," he said, explaining the format for the meeting and urging residents to use the city app and staff tables to report specific problems.

Why it matters: Spencer said the council set a five-year directive to reduce Everman's high property-tax rate and credited development and partnership funding for getting the city close to that goal. He emphasized that much of the recent infrastructure work relied on outside funding rather than solely on local tax dollars.

Major announcements and projects

- Property tax goal: Spencer said Everman had previously had one of the county's highest rates and expects to reach a rate below $1.00 this year, attributing the improvement to new development and staff efforts. He said the city has worked to reduce the rate while also addressing service gaps.

- Safe Stre…