Council and staff outline more than $300,000 in proposed budget cuts as tax-rate choices loom

Staff and the Whitehouse City Council on Monday reviewed a package of proposed budget reductions totaling "over $300,000," and agreed staff would return with tax-rate scenarios and a refined line-item budget by Monday.

"We have taken all the cuts we had identified, which totaled over $300,000," said the staff member presenting the plan, describing a mix of operating and one-time reductions. Staff proposed charging the utility fund for after-hours street repairs previously paid from the general fund and trimming the vacation buyback line from $20,000 to $15,000 to reflect recent actuals.

Council members questioned trade-offs for parks and other visible services; staff recommended shortening a contract mowing schedule for Forestdale Park from 12 to nine months to save roughly $5,400 and removing several unused subscriptions and small administrative items. "This is not a year-over-year thing for police," the staff member said of some one-time supply savings.

Council agreed to prioritize police and fire staffing while directing staff to run tax-rate scenarios that show the implications of keeping existing service levels. Staff committed to returning with updated line items and analysis before the next formal meeting.