"State of the City" Address

       It's an annual event that keeps San Angelo residents abreast of the state of city. Nicole Sanchez was at the Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on Tuesday where the city's Mayor and Manager delivered messages of where San Angelo was yesterday, where we are today, and where we are going tomorrow.


     How has 2007 been for San Angelo? Well, many of those questions were explained for over 200 San Angelo business developers at their Chamber luncheon, with the "State of the City" address by City Manager Harold Dominguez and Mayor J.W. Lown.

     Lown says, "The people here today, their business leaders, their managers they have a stake, in the day to day operations of the city, so they want to hear from our city administration, elected officials, what's happened, what's transpired within the last year.
 
  From future plans to numbers, this yearly address covered all issues on where the city's been and where it's going. Lown believes that holding an event such as this allows it's citizens to stay up to date on what's happening within the city hall.

    "The first time we have a comprehensive improvement program, we're going to have a charter election in November and ask for that support to keep that effort to keep our city moving forward. And to touch changes that's taking place under the new leadership, in the planning department on how we hav a new liason that will meet with the community and liason who works with the community to help with any questions that they might have," Lown says.

     With this month's increase of water rates averging $4.74 and sewer rates $7.79 within the city, Dominguez explained how even with how and why even with a fixed budget they were raised.

   Lown says,  "When you look at our budget basically the organization, we are a large company composed of multiple smaller companies. And so the water fund stands on it's own so the primary source of revenue there is the water rates, so on and so forth. And what you really see is people pay property taxes and that goes to the general fund it does not go to the regular fund and sales tax is the same way so it's within that separate structure that you establish the rates and the rate structure."  
 
Now that the city goals have been set, officials hope that Tuesday's event will alow San Angelo along with it's citizens accomplish these goals together.

  "What we want to do is increase the communication between the community. And that' s our goal the council said to staff, we want you to be more transparent and open, and we really hope that we carry on that goal that they set for us," Dominguez says.