At the June 4 city board work session, Lakeland’s mayor and aldermen heard citizens’ comments about the new 55-cent tax, the proposed middle school and a mix of praise, concerns and complaints from citizens.
Although no action can be taken at a work session, the board discussed in depth the topics that will arise at the next business meeting, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. June 11 at Lakeland City Hall.
The hot items on the agenda will be the Lakeland School system’s five-year capital improvements plan (CIP), which includes construction of a nearly $20 million middle school by 2018, and how that project will affect the city’s taxes and budget.
The board discussed three funding options and appeared to be leaning toward one that would pay off in 12 years, an option that would not require a referendum as another bond issuance attempt would.
School superintendent Dr. Ted Horrell presented a look at the school’s balanced budget for the 2015-2016 school year. For details, see the latest version of the next school year’s budget at the district’s website.
In other business, Lakeland’s leaders also discussed how to charge heavy water users more than average citizens to spread the costs more equitably. They also discussed changes to the Lakeland waste management program to allow for more yard waste pickup and/or more frequent recycling pickup, in answer to citizens’ concerns after changes this past year.
They also briefly referenced a new fire study by the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) and agreed to discuss at a later meeting.
