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Los Fresnos progressing by leaps and bounds
- Updated: December 31, 2020
By TONY VINDELL
LFN
The City of Los Fresnos keeps progressing by leaps and bounds and will continue doing so as it has been for quite some time.
In a recent update of how this city along Texas Highway 100 and Paredes Line Road has been doing on all fronts, City Manager Mark Milum gave a detailed presentation of the changes the city has been experiencing from fiscal year 2004 to 2019.
In some cases, such as its property tax revenue went from $624,000 to a little more than $2 million – an increase of 223 percent over that period.
The city’s sales taxes went from $326,358 to nearly $1,250,000 – a hike of 282 percent.
As to its fund balance, the city had $423,118 in 2004, compared to more than $1.5 million 15 years later.
Milum gave the report during a meeting to welcome Mayor Alejandro “Alex” Flores and to applaud former city councilwoman Yolanda Cruz.
The city manager reminded Cruz she served on the city council over much of those years of his report, and thanked her for her contribution.
Other significant aspects of how the city has been growing has been its franchise tax, its revenues from water and sewer services and in the Los Fresnos Economic Development Corp.
The franchise tax went from $139,917 in 2004 to $390,073 in 2019 – up by 179 percent.
In sewer and water revenues, the city went from $1.1 million to more than $3 million during the same period – a 176 percent increase.
CDC had $141,455 in 2004, compared to $408,656 in 2019 – a 189 percent hike.
Milum said the city’s payroll grew from 34 employees to 60 during that time resulting in an increase of 76 percent.
He also said Los Fresnos no longer has a reputation of being one of Texas’ infamous speed traps.
Milum stated that the city collected $501,445 in traffic fines back in 2004, compared to $507, 557 in 2019 – or the second lowest increase of all the figures he provided at the meeting.
Traffic fine collection rose by 14 percent, whereas the city’s city property tax rate went from 0.69 per $100 of valuation to 0.715 19 years later – an increase of 4 percent.
Despite the 4 percent increase, it’s worth noticing such a rate has remained unchanged since 2006.
