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Innis staff to model staffing and equipment costs after workshop highlights mechanic, water-plant and tourism budget shifts
Summary
City staff told the commission that an in-house mechanic would cost about $88,556 fully loaded and that adding two water-treatment operators would cost roughly $180,000; commissioners asked for decision-package costings and staff said they would return with detailed numbers at a follow-up workshop.
City officials at the Innis July 29 budget workshop reviewed several operational cost items and directed staff to provide detailed decision packages for commissioners to review ahead of the August public hearing.
City Manager Carmen and staff explained that switching some contracted maintenance in-house did not produce immediate savings in staff estimates: the fully loaded cost of an in-house mechanic (salary plus pension, insurance and other benefits) was shown as $88,556. Staff also noted the city currently spends roughly $17,000 per year on contracted oil-change and similar services; a staff slide estimated only about $20,000 in recurring purchased-service costs that might be affected.
Fleet-management and leasing practices drew extended discussion. Commissioners raised concerns about repairing leased vehicles in-house and whether the city should own more vehicles outright. Staff said leasing during COVID helped obtain vehicles when supply chains were constrained and that some leased-vehicle arrangements remain more cost-effective than outsourcing maintenance to fleet vendors.
Utility operations staff requested two additional water-treatment operators to reduce overtime, improve safety and ensure a two-person complement on each shift. Staff estimated the fully loaded cost for the two operator positions at $180,000 (about $97,000 in salaries and $82,000 in benefits), and said the water/wastewater utility is an enterprise fund separate from the general fund. Carmen noted water and wastewater staffing would ultimately be funded through utility rates, and staff will model both the staffing and potential rate adjustments.
Commissioners also asked staff to bring back staffing figures for police and fire. Staff said hiring three firefighters would be significant; staff estimated the loaded cost for three firefighters at roughly $336,600 (staff characterized the per-firefighter loaded cost as "a little more" than $100,000). Carmen said additional public-safety hires are costly and will be included among decision-package priorities if funding is available.
On the community engagement and tourism budgets, staff showed reorganized slides separating the two functions and said community engagement's proposed general-fund expenses total $401,004.61; tourism positions and some events had previously been funded from the tourism fund but several positions were transitioned to the general fund in recent years. Staff noted tourism accomplishments, including a website relaunch and Bluebonnet Trails festival, and said some part-time roles combine to create FTEs in the proposed 2026 budget.
The commission did not take final staffing votes at the workshop. Instead, commissioners asked staff to prepare detailed costings and to return at an additional workshop so the commission can weigh which decision packages to include in the proposed budget.
What happens next: staff will provide decision-package cost breakdowns for the mechanic analysis, fleet options, two water-treatment operator positions and public-safety staffing proposals at a follow-up workshop prior to the Aug. 19 public hearing.
