Brownsboro finances in good shape
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

During the budget analysis at the monthly Brownsboro City Council meeting March 13, mayor Ronny Harris said he was pleased with the current budget analysis. The analysis covers many aspects of city finances.

The budget runs from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008. This budget analysis applies to February, 2008.

Street repair currently stands at $5,597.82, with the excess available having been used up. Police sup- plies is at a balance of $2,404.51, around a third of the overall budget for this item. Under miscellaneous, with a total budget of $7,500, 94.4 percent of this has been spent, leaving the balance at $413.25. Under the "Workers Comp" section, $6,635.50 of $9,200 has been spent. Under the overtime segment, 76.8 percent of the $4,000 budget has been spent.

In the revenues section of the budget analysis, the miscellaneous portion stands at $-1,388.55, noting the city went over budget on this item. The franchise tax segment is at a balance of $24,545.21, while the advalorem tax revenue is at $11,407.98.

City sales tax is at a balance of $22,593.38. Like in the miscellaneous portion, fines and fees went over budget slightly, hitting $132,374.38 of $124,950. However, some additional money from this was added in January to balance the budget.

In the water and sewer budget report, chemicals have a balance of $4,795.78, while electricity has a balance of $11,593.21, around a fourth of its overall $44,500 budget. Supplies is at $8,460.89 while equipment repair is down to $427.46 of $4,500. New equipment costs were $31,070.03 out of $35,000.

Under revenues, water and sewer are at $82,957.46 and $34,770.45 out of $210,000 and $102,000, respectively.

Ron Shields, Brownsboro chief of police, presented the city's annual report of traffic stops and citizen contacts. This report describes the ethnicity of each of the police department's contacts during police activity.

Under Caucasian, 2,307 contacts were made with 137 searches, 120 consensual searches and 17 searches with probably cause. Up to 105 of these contacts resulted in arrest.

Within the African ethnicity section, 315 contacts were made with 23 searches, 20 consensual searches and three searches with probable cause. Ten of these contacts resulted in arrest.

The police made contact with 203 people of Hispanic Ethnicity in 2007, with 11 searches, 10 consensual searches and one search with probable cause. Three arrests were made.

There were no entries under the Asian or Native American races, but six contacts were made with the people group described as "other", with no searches or arrests being made.

During the meeting, a motion to request East Texas Medical Center to contract with United Health Care Options Pro was passed. This would benefit employees of the City of Brownsboro.