By KATHY WILLIAMS

HERALD DEMOCRAT

SHERMAN -- The City Council heard an auditor say Sherman's books are well kept; the chief financial auditor proclaim good fiscal health and an offer to participate in a homeless coalition. 

A representative of Patillo, Brown & Hill LLP of Waco told councilors that the city's net assets were divided into three categories, and all three had positive balances. And, although the net income is down some from the city's business activities of water, sewer and solid waste services, those accounts also had good balances last fiscal year.

The representative also praised city staff for addressing the three areas of concern auditors had expressed last year. He added that the books were so well kept and the financial reporting and accountability systems so well designed that auditors found no areas of concerns this year.

Councilor Chip Adami, who heads the Council's Audit Committee, praised the staff and thanked the auditors.

City of Sherman Chief Financial Officer Robby Hefton took the good news from the audit into the future, outlining the beginning of the budget preparation process for the next year. He said Sherman has several challenges to deal with in the budget, so the city has started the process early this year. Last year the staff presented and the Council accepted a new system of projecting budget issues five years into the future and focusing sharply on the next fiscal year. This system helps keep priorities straight and promotes a smoother fit of individual pieces into the big picture, staff and councilors said last year.

The challenges are that General Fund revenues are down from last year, as are sewer and water because of the wet and relatively cooler summer.

The Solid Waste Fund is performing as predicted, Hefton said. There are not many surprises or challenges on the expense side, Hefton said, explaining that one of the wild cards in the past has been the city's health benefits program. Large claims had put that fund in the red; now it is balanced.

The staff will continue to look at the fund to see if the trend toward lower claims continues. That would build up the fund balance naturally. Otherwise more money will have to be transferred into it.

The big challenge is that Sherman's General Fund draws a much larger proportion from sales tax than it has in past eras. And although Sherman's sales taxes and economy in general have not suffered the way those of other areas have, revenues are down. Also franchise tax revenue has declined.

The Council agreed to a budget calendar in which staff will have the budget planning meeting with the Council at noon April 30 and the budget workshop and long-range planning sessions June 17-18.

During the public comments section of the meeting, councilors heard the mayor call for Grayson County Commissioners Court to reinstate its version of an opportunity for the people to speak.

On March 8, the Grayson County commissioners discussed the topic of public comments. County Judge Drue Bynum said the Court's meetings are open to the public and those meetings are designed for commissioners to discuss public business and reach decisions. He said state law does not require such opportunities for members of the public to speak.

Commissioner Johnny Waldrip said that each of the commissioners is available "at all times, they can talk directly to us." He said the public comments section has been used "as a political podium."

Mayor Bill Magers said, "I want to enforce the fact that the City Council of Sherman, Texas, welcomes, expects and respects the input received during public comments. Furthermore, I encourage citizens to use public comment to further any political agenda they deem appropriate. After all, they, the taxpayers, are paying the bills. We are elected by the taxpayers and they certainly have the right to open government to comment on any matter they see fit, regardless of whether we and the city staff deem it important enough to place it on our agenda."

Magers listed some times when the Council has listened to the public speak against their actions or policies that did not lead to action: The city's response to the 2007 flood, the College Park Overlay District, mega-duplexes; withdrawing city funding from the city's day care center; and the Washington and Lamberth road extensions.

"We hear complaints regarding water rates, neighbors' dogs and cable service," Magers said. "While we may not agree with the speaker, we respectfully listen to their comments and do our best to address their concerns."

Magers said that he felt that as the mayor of Sherman, it is his responsibility "to make sure our residents have the same opportunities for comment at the county level of government that they do at the local level. As county taxpayers they have the right to be heard in a public forum without having to ask permission." So, he said, as mayor he asked the Commissioner's Court to add the public comment section back into its weekly agenda.

Since Magers' remarks came during the public comments section, the Council could not discuss the matter, although some could have made their own statements during the council comments section.

Clay Travis, an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Texoma Homeless Coalition, spoke to the Council during the public comments section. He explained to the Council about the Coalition's work, saying a recent survey, conducted on a snowy day in January, delivered to 92 homeless people, revealed that most of them lived in Grayson County (of the several counties, including Red River, Cooke and Delta as well as Fannin).

He noted that homelessness, affordable housing and low income housing had been identified in a city study as among the Sherman's most pressing. He said the same plan noted that the city's lack of resources meant it would have to leave addressing the problem to the non-profit sector. Travis said that was the reason for his appearance before the Council, to let them know what the non-profit, private sector was doing, and to get a liaison person to work with them.