Kingwood Council makes purchases

KINGWOOD — Kingwood Council spent some of the new municipal tax this week and discussed ways to cut some expenses.

Council voted to purchase a new street sweeper for $149,708. It will be financed through Country Roads Leasing LLC for two years at 3% interest. Payments will be made with the municipal tax, which has garnered Kingwood $155,319 in the first two quarters it has been collected.

Some council members initially wanted to finance the sweeper over five years at 3.5% interest, but Recorder Bill Robertson urged caution.

“I’m concerned with the municipal tax being money we’ve never had before … how secure that’s going to be,” Robertson said. He compared it to coal severance taxes, which have nearly disappeared.

“I’m afraid that we’re going to overspend ourselves and possibly get into trouble for future councils if we start using that money to buy some things like this,” he said. “I would rather pay for it now or finance it over [the remainder] of our terms, which is two years, so that we can control the money a little bit better.”

He noted that the state legislature is discussing changes to sales taxes and the county also has the option to put on a tax. “Where do you draw the line?” he asked. How much can taxpayers afford?

“Our tax base isn’t growing,” Robertson noted.

In other money discussions, council agreed with Mayor Jean Guillot’s suggestion to take bids on mowing and maintaining the city-owned, 23-acre Maplewood Cemetery. It costs about $2,400 per week in salaries for city workers to mow it, he said.

Council also voted to hire someone to assess whether a house at the cemetery owned by the city contains asbestos. The home has been vacant more than 15 years and is dilapidated, moldy and likely should be demolished, Guillot said.

Some city equipment is stored in the garages of the house. Councilman Mike Lipscomb estimated it will cost about $600 for the asbestos evaluation, which must be done before the building can be torn down or fixed.

Council also agreed 4-2, with Robertson and Lipscomb in the minority, to buy an ATV from Leeson Import Motors for $5,715 to replace a 2006 model used by city crews that needs $2,000 in repairs.

City workers use the ATV to water hanging baskets and planters in the historic district each morning and evening in the summer. Guillot said last year the salaries cost $12,000, because workers do the work before or after their regular shifts. The flowers cost about $1,000.

There was debate over the purchase because city ordinances ban ATVs in town for transportation or recreation. Those on the winning side of the vote said the city can issue itself a variance. Robertson said he has a problem with passing laws and saying they don’t apply to the city.

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