Mark Harness

for City Council —  Place 2

Accomplishments

During the last two elections you asked for major changes in the priorities set by the city council.  You said you wanted us to concentrate on the basics – real needs.  In 2006, during my last election, you told me what you needed and I made those things my priorities.

 

You asked me to keep taxes as low as possible. 

I heard you.  In 2006 your property tax rate dropped from .4413 to .43219.  In 2007 it did not increase, despite increased spending on badly needed infrastructure improvements.

 

You asked for a library referendum to be placed before the voters. 

That referendum for a reasonable increase in the size of the present library passed in November 2007 and proposals are being considered  for actual construction

 

You asked for the much needed and long-neglected fire station #4.

The new fire station will cut response times, resulting in savings in both property and lives that might otherwise have been lost.  Groundbreaking is set for this spring.

 

You asked for street repairs to receive higher priority. 

We placed a referendum before you and you voted to move an additional 1/4 cent sales tax to street maintenance.  Actual spending on street maintenance has doubled from fiscal year 2006 to fiscal year 2008.    $2.3 million is budgeted for street maintenance in this fiscal year.

 

Many people in our city suffered severe property loss during the unusual flood in June 2007.  I approached the mayor, city staff and my fellow council members to create a Storm Water Drainage Task Force to address flooding issues.  I currently chair that task force

 

Much remains to be done, but following are some of the task force achievements to date:

 

· Creation of a bar ditch maintenance plan

· Creation of a storm water channel maintenance plan

· Approved expenditure of $156,000 to improve or correct drainage issues in 7 locations within the city

· Worked with FEMA to repair drainage channel – (no cost to the city)

· Worked with developers, City of Fort Worth and homeowners to correct drainage issues  - (no cost to the city)

· Worked with citizens of Darryl Lane, Melissa, and Garden Lane to develop a plan to correct flooding and drainage problems in their community

Political advertisement paid for by “Mark Harness for Keller City Council”