City Manager Peter Zanoni Delivers City's Proposed Largest Annual Operating and Capital Budget to City Council

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - In today's regularly scheduled City Council meeting, City Manager Peter Zanoni presented the City of Corpus Christi's $1.2 Billion Fiscal Year 2022 Proposed Annual Operating and Capital Budget. The budget reflects the City's continued commitment to providing public services, programs, and infrastructure that enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Corpus Christi.

The budget addresses the Mayor and City Council's community priorities and focuses on basic city services. It provides substantial investment in street reconstruction and maintenance, public safety, parks, and neighborhood services improvements while continuing to maintain strong financial reserves in the General Fund and other funds consistent with City Council-approved financial policies.

'The Proposed Budget for the City continues to address the Mayor and City Council priorities identified by the community. For the third year in a row, we are increasing investment in critical infrastructure and quality-of-life assets including streets, public safety, parks, neighborhoods, and our utilities (water, wastewater, stormwater, and gas),' City Manager Peter Zanoni said.

'One of the most important parts of the budget process is making sure that our residents' voices are heard. I want to invite everyone to participate in one of the five public meetings next month,' said Mayor Paulette M. Guajardo. 'Your City Council and I will provide proper oversight to deliver to our residents a balanced budget that supports the needs of our growing community.'

Highlights of the Proposed 2022 Budget include:

Streets

• $121.5 million in street maintenance and reconstruction, a 56 percent increase over the current budget.
• $2 million for a third in-house street rehabilitation paving crew composed of 12 positions and new equipment
• $750 thousand for Safe Route to School program to rehabilitate citywide sidewalk infrastructure near education centers
• $880 thousand for Vision Zero enhancements and internally illuminated LED street name signs

Police

• Funding for ten new police officers, five more than were planned. Increases the plan by adding five additional police officers for a total of 30 instead of 25 officers over five years.
• Replace 250 in-car mobile data computers
• Upgrade to Public Safety Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Record Management System (RMS)
• Crime Scene mapping drone package
• Funding for construction of a new Police Academy Complex at Del Mar South campus

Fire

• Funding for eight new firefighter positions to create an additional medic unit placed at Station 17 (Yorktown)
• Replacement of three medic units and one fire pumper truck
• Purchase of additional medic unit, potable water tanker truck, and Hazmat Material Response Unit
• Funding for construction of a replacement Fire Station #3 located at Morgan Avenue

Parks & Recreation

• $2.9 million budgeted for numerous one-time capital improvements at ten area parks
• $100 thousand for the design of monuments highlighting the five branches of the military at Sherrill Park
• Funding for an additional 230 shade trees throughout City parks
• Addition of eight swim instructors to expand the summer swim instruction program
• Purchase of 16 vehicles to modernize the Park and Beach operations fleet

Marina

• Marina Master Plan
• Marina Breakwater Assessment
• Funding for the reconstruction of Peoples Boardwalk
• Funding for dredging as part of the pier replacement project
• Replacement of fencing and gates at the dry storage area and replacement of large, roll-up door on the Haul-Out Facility
• Replacement and additions of signs throughout the Marina
• Two additional dockhand positions to support the Marina 24/7

Bayfront

• Upgrades to Seawall and Miradors lighting
• Seawall event programming
• Facility improvements to the Art Center and Art Museum
• Phase 1 design for Art Center Revitalization

Neighborhood Services

• Four full-time Animal Care kennel techs and the addition of two vehicles
• Two additional live release coordinators
• Additional veterinarian position
• Five additional code enforcement officers
• Additional funding for demolition of properties that have become dangerous from sudden acts such as fire and natural disasters
• Funding for fee waivers for non-qualifying infill housing properties

Libraries

• Increased building maintenance at all six City libraries
• Assessment and initial exterior improvements at La Retama Library downtown

Solid Waste

• No residential rate increase
• Addition of two positions for Litter Crew
• Addition of four positions and garbage trucks to create two new garbage routes and one recycling route
• Addition of four positions and equipment to create an additional brush and bulky crew

Development Services

• Capital improvements to the first and second floors of the Development Services building
• Addition of two Building Inspectors
• Addition of three Compliance Inspectors for non-scheduled inspections
• Modification of fees that have not been adjusted in over a decade

Airport

• Capital improvements to the terminal building
• Expansion of cell parking lot
• Addition of four Parking Operations positions

Water

• $112 million over the next three years to replace and repair water distribution lines
• Capital improvements over the next three years to rehabilitate and upgrade the O. N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant totaling $145 million
• Two additional positions for maintenance of the Mary Rhodes pipeline

Wastewater

• Addition of eight positions for Wastewater Treatment Plant preventative maintenance activities
• Capital improvements over the next three years to repair, rehabilitee, and upgrade all six Wastewater Treatment Plants totaling $118 million

Stormwater

• Remove stormwater from the water rate and create a new equitable fee structure
• Five-year program to upgrade stormwater infrastructure, increase street sweeping, and improve bay, estuary, creek, and river water quality

Gas

• Addition of seven positions to support the meter replacement program
• Additional of eight positions to support infrastructure replacement program
• Purchase of 17 vehicles and machinery to modernize the fleet

Utility Rates

• Wastewater - Proposed rate increase of $1.97 a month for an average residential customer with a 5000-gallon winter quarter average
• Water and Stormwater - Net-zero proposed increase to the average residential water customer using 6,000 gallons a month: Water will decrease by $6.12; Stormwater will increase by $6.12
• Gas - No proposed rate change

The City will hold community public meetings in each district to solicit input from residents on the proposed budget. The meetings will provide brief opening remarks and a budget video, with most of the time reserved for a question and answer session.

All meetings begin at 6 p.m. for the following dates:

• Monday, August 9 District 1 Owen Hopkins Library
• Wednesday, August 11 District 2 Lindale Senior Center
• Thursday, August 12 District 3 Water Utilities - Choke Canyon Room
• Monday, August 16 District 4 Ethel Eyerly Senior Center
• Wednesday, August 18 District 5 Veterans Memorial High School-Teaching Theater

The 2022 Proposed Budget in its entirety can be found at: www.cctexas.com/financial-transparency and https://www.cctexas.com/budget2021

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