Hometown, Texas - Profile
Hometown, Texas is a medium-sized central Texas city with a population of approximately 50,000
people. In recent years, Hometown has experienced important demographic changes. The overall
population has experienced sustained growth, with the most impressive rates of growth in the city’s
black and hispanic communities. The demographic make-up of the city is provided on a
subsequent slide.
Traditionally, Hometown’s service economy centered around a large private hospital located in the
city. In the 1980s, however, the city’s economy floundered, along with the overall state economy.
Recognizing the need to diversify the local economy, Hometown’s business and civic leaders
embarked on a intensive campaign to lure new industry to the city. Ultimately, their efforts paid off
when a Louisiana-based plastics manufacturing plant relocated just south of the city on Interstate
Highway 95. By offering tax abatements and other incentives, Hometown’s city government was
soon able to attract additional business activity to the area. The city’s new industry required an
influx of new workers, spurring the population changes mentioned above.
All of the changes have exacerbated a long-existing political problem in Hometown. For years,
Hometown’s minority communities have contended that minorities are not adequately represented
on the city council. Black and hispanic leaders have complained that city services are implemented
unevenly at best, and that the quality of services provided to their neighborhoods is unacceptable.
Police and fire department response times are 5-7 minutes longer in districts B and C than in
districts G, E, and D. Additionally, they insist that garbage collection is irregular, neighborhood
parks have outdated and poorly-maintained equipment, community recreation centers are
dilapidated, and library facilities are non-existent in these districts.
These are but a few of the issues that you must consider in this exercise as a member of
Hometown’s city council.
City of Hometown, Texas
Wards and Representational Demographics
ETJ HUD Development
70% Black/Hispanic
G
IH - 95
30% White
100% White [7,150]
40% White [2,860]
FS
#2
30% Black [2,145]
B
Hospital
25% Hispanic [1,785]
5% Asian [360]
57% White [4,075]
43% Black [3,075]
E
96% White [6,850]
F
A
C
56% Black [4,000]
50% Hispanic [3,575]
FS
#3
FS
#1 44% Hispanic [3,150] 45% Black [3,220]
5% Asian [355]
3% Asian [300]
D
91% White [6,500]
9% Asian [650]
Plastics
Plant
proposed
Hometown’s Demographics
W ARD No.
W hites
Blacks
Hispanics
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
0
2,860
0
6,500
6,850
4,075
7,150
4,000
2,145
3,220
0
0
3,075
0
3,150
1,785
3,575
0
0
0
0
0
360
355
650
300
0
0
Totals
27435
12440
8510
1665
Total Polulation = 50,050
W hite = 27,435 or 55%
Black = 12,440 or 25%
Hispanic = 8,510 or 17%
Asian/Other = 1,665 or 3%
Asian/Others Totals
7150
7150
7150
7150
7150
7150
7150
50050
City of Hometown, Texas
City Departments
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•
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•
•
•
•
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•
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Police
Fire
Sanitation
Public Works
Parks and Recreation
Public Health
Library
Finance, Budgeting, and Accounting
Transportation
Tourism and Historic Preservation
City of Hometown, Texas
FY 2000 Budget
The city’s Budget Office projects that the city will receive approximately
$2.5 million in additional revenues this fiscal year. The new revenues
will come from a variety of sources, primarily increased sales tax
revenues generated by the city’s robust economy and increased
property tax revenues resulting from higher property valuations.
Having become aware of the anticipated windfall, city department heads
have formulated their decision packages for FY 2000. A decision
package is essentially a department head’s “wish list”; each department
chair wants to get his or her piece of the $2.5 million pie.
The city council must decide how to spend this $2.5 million windfall.
However, it cannot reduce the departments’ existing operating budgets
to pay for any of the decision packages. If any of the budget requests
are approved by the council, they must be paid for out of the projected
$2.5 million. Taxpayers in the city are absolutely opposed to any tax
increase.
Budget Requests for FY 2000
Department
Description
Budget Request
Police
Police
Police
Fire
Fire
Fire
Sanitation
Sanitation
Public Works
Public Works [Code Enforcement]
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
Public Health
Public Health
Public Health
Library
Library
Finance, Budgeting, and Accounting
Transportation
Tourism and Historic Preservation
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New Communications System
5 New Patrol Cars
New Uniforms
New Fire Station
85 ft. Platform Truck
Emergency Medical Vehicle
4 New Packers
Street Sweeper
New Street Paving Equipment
New Inspector Position
New Park and Athletic Facilities
Gynasium Renovation
New Resturaunt Inspector
New Animal Control Officer
Childhood Immunization Program
New Library
Internet Capabilities
New Computer
Downtown Parking Garage
Statue of Town Founder
2.5% Pay Raise - All City Employees
Salary/Benefit Study
Expansion of City Services to ETJ
Establishment of Citizen Review Board
Action Center
$350,000
125,000
38,080
1,500,000
350,000
72,100
420,000
100,000
56,000
78,000
1,350,000
56,000
70,000
70,000
200,000
$770,000
25,000
202,160
1,470,000
100,000
250,000
$60,000
1,500,000
$50,000
$65,000
Total of All Requests = $9,327,340
City of Hometown, Texas
Budget Requests for FY 1999
POLICE DEPT. -- New Communications System
Estimated Cost: $350,000 [installed]; the City can get a federal reimbursement
grant for 30% of this cost
The present police radio system is 18 years old, and the police chief says a new
one is needed. The new system would consist of a communications console for
police headquarters, a repeat transmitter on the highest building in town, and 10
portable units to be used by officers while on patrol. The console and
transmitter would cost $300,000 and the portable units would cost $50,000. The
portable units can be plugged into patrol cars and serve as car radios, which
would save the city the cost of regular radios at $3,500 each. Similar systems
are currently being used in several neighboring cities. The manufacturer says
that the system can be installed and operating six to nine months after the order
is placed. The police chief argues that that the new communications system
could help shave 2-3 minutes off response times citywide.
POLICE DEPT. -- New Patrol Vehicles
Estimated Cost: $125,000 [for five vehicles].
The Hometown police department currently has ten patrol vehicles, half of
which are replaced each year. In their first year, new cars are run 50,000 miles
as patrol vehicles. In the second year, two serve as back-up patrol vehicles, two
are transferred to the investigation unit, and one is assigned to the shift captain.
The vehicles generally have 70,000 to 80,000 miles at the end of the second
year at which time they are sold at auction. The police chief is requesting five
full-sized sedans with V-8, 350 cubic inch engines at $25,000 each. The police
chief argues that the existing fleet of intermediate-sized cars do not provide
enough trunk space for equipment or enough passenger space to transport
suspects and prisoners safely.
The costs of $125,000 does NOT include roll bars, search lights, sirens, radios,
or other specialized police equipment.
POLICE DEPT. -- New Uniforms
Estimated Cost: $38,080
In an effort to improve the City’s image, the Hometown Chamber of Commerce has
recommended that municipal police officers be outfitted with new, spiffier uniforms.
The president of the Chamber says the present uniforms are drab and uninspiring and
that, since police officers project an image of the City, new uniforms will help to
promote the city as an attractive place to live and work. Additionally, a recent,
nationally-covered incident involving the beating death of a homeless man by three of
Hometown’s officers has cast a shadow on the Police Department’s and the City’s
image. The president of the Chamber believes that, while new uniforms cannot erase
the incident, they can serve as a symbol of a modernized police force.
A three-person committee composed of one representative from the Chamber, the
Hometown Fashion Guild, and the Police Department reviewed various uniform styles
and recommended one to the Police Chief. The chief likes the choice, as do all of the
officers, so the request for new uniforms was included in this year’s budget. To
encourage the Council to approve the new uniforms, the Chamber of Commerce has
agreed to pay $15,000 of the total cost.
FIRE DEPT. -- New Fire Station
Estimated Cost: $1,500,000.
Hometown currently has two fire stations - one is located on the west side of
district A near the boundary of district F; the other is located in the center of
district G.
The Fire Chief claims that response times to districts B and C, and the eastern
parts of district D could be cut in half by building a new station on a city-owned
lot located on the boundary of districts C and B.
Plans call for a station large enough to accommodate a pumper truck, a ladder
truck, an ambulance, two smaller vehicles, living quarters, a classroom, a
communications center, two administrative offices, and outside parking.
FIRE DEPT. -- 85 ft. Platform Truck
Estimated Cost: $350,000.
The two existing fire stations now have between them two 2,000-gallon tanker
trucks, two 1,000-gallon-per-minute pumper trucks, one 1,250 gpm pumper, and
one chief’s vehicle. Neither has a ladder or elevated platform truck. The fire
chief believes that the department is poorly equipped to respond to fires in the
the city’s rapidly growing industrial park. New businesses are constructing
multi-level office buildings and plants. The State Fire Rating Bureau
recommends that Hometown acquire an elevated platform truck before the new
6-story apartment building to be constructed in the downtown area opens in
2002. If the city does not acquire a new patform truck before construction is
completed, its fire rating will drop, costing property owners an additional 10%
in fire insurance premiums.
The chief argues that a recent fire on the top floor of the city’s tallest downtown
building illustrates the potential for disaster. Although the fire was small and
contained, the department had to call for the assistance of a neighboring city’s
fire department that does have a platform truck.
Local business leaders have endorsed the chief’s proposal.
FIRE DEPT. -- Emergency Medical Vehicle (Ambulance)
Estimated Cost: $72,100.
This estimate includes costs for the vehicle, a radio system, and diagnostic and
treatment equipment.
Hometown’s senior citizens’ council has been petitioning the city for several years
to establish emergency medical service. The county has an emergency medical
service that operates from the county seat, Far Away, located at the other end of the
county, but the distance, response times, and service to Hometown have been
inadequate. Several deaths have occurred that doctors say could have been avoided
if medical services had been on the scene sooner.
The fire chief says that if an EMS service is assigned to his department, he will need
new personnel (six positions at $28,000 annual salary) to operate the service.
Salaries and benefits for new personnel are NOT included in this decision package.
SANITATION DEPT. -- 4 New Packers
Estimated Cost: $420,000.
The Sanitation Department has six compacting (garbage collection) trucks. Two are
over six years old; two are 4-6 years old, and the remaining two are less than 4 years
old. The Sanitation Director wants to replace the oldest two packers, as well as
expand the total fleet to 8 vehicles. The usual life of a packer is 5 years, and the
director says that, if not replaced, the engines of the oldest two packers will have to
be rebuilt for a total of $50,000. With these repairs, the trucks will probably last for
another 2 years.
Expanding the fleet will allow the Sanitation Department to provide a higher level
of service to parts of the city that have, up until now, experienced uneven service.
The director maintains that the deteriorating condition of the fleet will result in
poorer service to all areas of the city.
SANITATION DEPT. -- Street Sweeper
Estimated Cost: $100,000.
Three years ago, Hometown entered into an agreement in principle with other city
governments in the area to reduce storm water runoff pollution. This problem
occurs when a substantial rainfalls gathers oil deposits, antifreeze and coolant
residues, rubber from tires and car hoses and other solids, battery acids, pesticides,
herbicides, and fertilizers, etc. that have collected on city streets and sluices them
into storm sewers which transport the pollutants into area rivers, lakes, and
reservoirs.
One effective way of reducing the runoff problem is a regular program of street
sweeping. The Sanitation Department currently has no automated street sweeping
equipment. The Sanitation Director reminds the city council that it has committed
to addressing the problem and warns that if the city does not take action soon, it
could be cited for failure to comply with federal regulatory standards and penalized
by the Environmental Protection Agency.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPT. -- Street Paving Equipment
Estimated Cost: $56,000.
Hometown has 55 miles of city-maintained streets. Three years ago, 15 miles of residential
streets, primarily on the east side of town, were unpaved and lacked curbs and storm sewers.
The city council decided , at that time, to pave and put in curbs and storm sewers. The city
contracted with a private construction firm to complete the project at an estimated cost of
$2.5 million. Thus far, the project has progressed on schedule and has received strong
support from property owners along the streets to be paved. However, a minority of property
owners on the streets to be paved next year object to the project because, under the plan, curb
and storm sewer costs are being assessed to abutting property. The new Public Works
Director says the paving should not be done without the curbs and gutters because it would
require greater maintenance and not last as long.
The mayor has entered the fracas, expressing doubt that the city can continue with
such an expensive project. He says that 30% of the paving, curb, and gutter costs
should be assessed to property owners. To complicate the picture, the Public Works
Director argues that, if the city would purchase a new paving machine at $56,000,
his crews could do the work at 60% of the original estimate, with curb and gutters to
be contracted out. Needless to say, private contractors have strongly objected to this
plan.