08/25/2026
Tonight’s public hearing and special meeting may have been short, but the decisions made tonight were huge for the future of our city.
First, we addressed 2026-B07, the annual tax rates for the City. The tax rate will remain exactly where it is at .3290. I want to make that very clear that if you see an increase in the revenue budget, that is a result of increased assessed values—not an increase in the City’s tax rate.
Next, we discussed 2026-R04, the TowerPoint Lease Agreement. For those of you that don't know, the City currently has a lease with AT&T for an antenna located on our water tower. The City was presented with an opportunity to terminate the agreement in exchange for a $525,000 lump-sum payment.
The Board carefully considered this decision. The City had not been receiving the proper amount of rent under the existing arrangement, and efforts to negotiate a better deal were unsuccessful. At the same time, technology continues to change, and there was no guarantee how long this lease would continue to provide value to the City.
At the current rate, it would have taken nearly 28 years to collect $525,000 through the existing lease. Rather than continue waiting and hoping the arrangement would become more favorable, the Board chose to make a proactive decision that puts $525,000 directly into the City. This is about looking ahead, protecting the City’s interests, and making decisions based on what is best for our community, not simply maintaining the status quo. After a year of back-and-forth, I am incredibly glad to finally see this project moving toward completion.
Finally, we added to the agenda 2026-O08, regarding the Board of Aldermen’s regular meeting schedule. The Board voted to move regular meetings from 7:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
There is still a lot of work ahead, but tonight was another step forward. Our city deserves leadership that is willing to make these tough decisions, think long-term, and put the interests of our residents first.
