As voters and citizens of the Town of Copper Canyon, it is our duty to watch, monitor, and be aware of what our local government in doing. I have become very concerned over the management of the tax payers’ dollars in our town.
After reviewing the Town’s budgets over the past 10 years, I have found some very disturbing facts.
In the 2007, 2008, and 2009 budgets, the amount set aside for street repairs averaged around 12% of total expenditures. In 2010, the budget was less than 1%!
Historically, Copper Canyon has spent around half of its yearly revenue on street repairs. This amount may be less than what it should have been considering that in 1994 Copper Canyon citizens voted to give the town the right to levy taxes for one reason: “TO FIX THE ROADS.”
Was the 2010 Road Bond Spending Bill of $2,500,000 truly necessary? Were the residents of Copper Canyon misled by the misrepresentation of figures and facts?
If the Town collected around $750,000 dollars a year in taxes, half of the revenue would have been about $375,000 dollars which should have been spent on road repairs. If you were to add the amounts from 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, that would have been around $1,500,000. This money was not set aside like it should have been; instead it was spent with nothing to show and no significant reserve to boot!
Why didn’t the Council and Mayor use this money to cut the bond in half? Why were the roads not repaired a little each year which would have prevented putting our town in debt?
Due to my concern over mismanagement of funds and my strong beliefs in fiscal responsibility, I am running for Copper Canyon Town Council Seat #4.
Unfortunately our election will be held in Double Oak and not at the Copper Canyon Town Hall, which has been renovated and re-modeled twice over the last 6 years. I hope the Voters of Copper Canyon will turn out and support me on May 14th, Election Day.
Mike Brasberger
Copper Canyon, TX
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