UGRA Cuts Tax Rate; Adopts Budget

Kerrville, TX, September 22, 2004 –

The Upper Guadalupe River Authority today cut its tax rate by 6.34 percent. Janet Robinson, UGRA President, said, “The tax cut reflects our dedication to efficiency. We are doing more with less.”

UGRA’s tax rate will be reduced to $0.0295 per $100.00 of value. The latest reduction comes on the heels of last year’s 5.68 percent reduction. According to Greg Etter, UGRA General Manager, “UGRA is moving in the right direction. We won’t stop searching out efficiencies.”

The UGRA Board also adopted a fiscally prudent Budget for Fiscal Year 2005. UGRA’s fiscal year commences 1 October. The Budget calls for continued reductions in G & A expenditures, which are forecast to decrease some eighteen percent as compared to the FY 2004 Budget. Personnel costs are budgeted at less than 2/3 of the FY 2003 Budget. At the same time, the Budget calls for substantial increases in expenditures on programs directly relating to stewardship of the River. This has been made possible by cost-cutting and the fact that current revenues will no longer be required to be diverted toward building a prudent reserve. According to Etter, “Over the past two years, UGRA has replenished its reserve fund. We are in good fiscal shape going forward.”

The new Budget sets up the UGRA Environmental Laboratory as an enterprise fund. According to Etter, “The Lab will be looked at as a business. It brings value to Kerr County, but we want to be sure that it is self sufficient over time”. The UGRA Environmental Laboratory is a full service laboratory serving Kerr and surrounding counties and plays an important role in UGRA’s water monitoring programs. The Budget also set aside Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000) for future sewer projects. Etter said, “UGRA is committed to playing a constructive role in dealing with any threats to the River, including those posed by septic systems in certain circumstances.”

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UGRA aspires to be respected for its efficient, responsive and forthright stewardship of the Upper Guadalupe River and its tributaries.

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