Burleson council backs major road rebuild option as budget talks include modest tax-rate increase

Burleson city officials on July 21 reviewed funding choices for badly deteriorated Wicker Hill Road and Greenridge Drive and approved a mid‑year budget amendment while discussing whether to raise the tax rate to pay for long‑term fixes.

Randy Morrison, the city’s director of capital engineering, told council the corridor’s pavement condition index is 14.6 — “essentially a failed roadway at this point” — and described three options: do nothing, a $1.4 million interim 5–10 year fix that would hold until a later rebuild, or a full build‑out estimated at $6.9 million that would include full design, right‑of‑way acquisition and new concrete roadway with curb, gutter and sidewalks. Morrison said the full build would likely take 30–36 months to complete because of right‑of‑way work.

City Manager Tommy Ludwig and the finance adviser presented funding scenarios tied to the capital improvement program. Ludwig said including the full build in the CIP would raise the city’s debt‑service requirement slightly; the finance adviser presented a modeled increase that would move the earlier proposed debt component by roughly 0.377¢ in the planning assumptions. Ludwig told council staff could spread use of fund balance over two years to reduce year‑one pressure.

Council members pressed staff on timing, operational trade‑offs and whether interim repairs would be wasted if full reconstruction follows. Morrison said the interim approach requires schematic design and right‑of‑way work and could lead to duplicated construction but would still provide safer, better short‑term conditions.

On the budget front, Interim Finance Director Kevin Hennessy presented a mid‑year amendment increasing appropriations by $2,737,917 to cover operating and capital needs, including a $1.1 million proposed purchase of a building at 114 W. Ellison St. Council moved to approve the amendment as presented.

Ludwig asked council for direction on whether to pursue a tax‑rate increase to fund priority supplementals. The finance committee recommended a 3.5% increase on the maintenance & operations component to enable staffing and public safety supplementals; council members voiced support for that option but asked staff to refine projections after certified tax rolls arrive.

The council directed staff to return with refined numbers and said it would consider the full‑build alternative alongside final budget proposals in August.