Did you know that City Council Could Lower Utility Bills NOW?

Yes, over the years, our City Council has voted to tax the utility bill to pay for other city services, like the golf course, and could just as easily vote NOW to rescind that tax.

Llano City Council has, under Mayor Virdell and Mayor Reagor, added a legal but immoral, hidden tax of 13.75% on your utility bill as well as an illegal, hidden $4 tax - every month. Don't look at your bill for these taxes because they are hidden.

The utility fund is projected to transfer $974K to the general fund in the 2015 budget. It's not just electric. It applies to the other utilities too like water, waste water, and garbage. Electric provides the bulk though. For 2015 electricity revenue is projected to contribute $675K of that amount. Utility customers who get electricity from CTEC don't pay this tax, which makes it even more immoral.

The budget shortfall could easily be recovered by postponing the Riley Mountain project until the next budget cycle and still give Llano utility customers a retroactive credit on the taxes. A side benefit of this would be an opportunity to get a proper plan for the Riley Mountain project.

Will City Council act NOW to lower your utility bill? Probably not. Revenue is the objective of our city government and Riley Mountain is a pet project of Mayor Virdell and City Manager Lewis.

ORDINANCE NO. 1288 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LLANO, TEXAS, ESTABLISHING AN ANNUAL FEE IN LIEU OF PAYMENT OF A FRANCISE FEE BY THE CITY OF LLANO UTILITIES. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: SECTION 1. For the fiscal year of 2014-2015, a franchise fee of 13.75 percent of the gross revenues of the Utility Fund shall be paid to the General Fund. SECTION 2. This franchise fee shall become effective upon implementation of the 2014-2015 Budget on October 1, 2014. PASSED AND APPROVED, this the 15th day of September, 2014. ________________________ Mike Virdell, Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________ Toni Milam, City Secretary

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