New La Grange City Manager Promises 'Full Aggression' After Tourism/Retail
The new La Grange City Manager, Jack Thompson, has some big plans for economic development in La Grange.
During a budget workshop with the City Council on Monday, Thompson said the La Grange Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is “going full aggression after retail and tourism.” Thompson said attracting new businesses to town will be the major focus for the EDC moving forward. The effort is aimed at boosting the City’s sales tax revenue.
“There are some things we’d like to do from a tourism perspective and an economic development perspective,” Thompson said. “There is no real outreach. We’d like to do both a tourism website and an economic development website. We really need to be reaching out to people. We’ve got to be aggressive in getting the word out that we’re here.
“Tourism is a very good form of economic development because they come to town, leave their money and then go home,” Thompson added. “It’s the least invasive on city services. It most impacts in a positive way our restaurants and retail. There needs to be a bigger push.”
He said the City’s past economic development activities were “more reactive than proactive,” which is something Thompson said he wants to change.
“Tourism and sales tax is the way to sustainability, bar none,” Thompson said.
Also during the budget workshop, Councilman Ken Taylor asked about a $340,000 line item in the parks and recreation budget for a pavilion. Thompson said the pavilion is related to an item the Council discussed during an executive session held on May 13.
That session was closed to the public. The agenda for that meeting said Council discussed the acquisition of real property. At the time Thompson said the City was considering the purchase of some property for a “public events space.” Thompson told the Record on Monday that the City is still in negotiations for the property. Thompson said he added funding in the budget for the pavilion so that money will be available for building a pavilion if the deal goes through.
Other highlights from the proposed budget include the following:
• Seal coating and reclaiming the 800-900 block of East Roich
• Seal coating, reclaiming, and replacing the sewer on East Guadalupe from Horton to Jackson
• Stormwater drainage repair on the 100 block of W. Milam St. and 100 block of E. Pecan St.
• Development of stormwater master plan
• Certified pay increase for police officers
• Cost of living adjustment for all city staff of 6%
• Street sign replacement program
• New computers and server for Library
• Electric Department capital outlay to replace an underground electric line
• Completion of the installation of electric meter replacement • Plugging Water Well G
• Conducting a Water Master Plan
• Conducting a Wastewater Master Plan
• Initiating a salaiy survey
• Street Conditions Assessment • New equipment for the Recreation Center
• Parks and Trails Master Plan
The Council will hold the first public hearing and first reading the budget ordinance on Aug. 26. They will hold a public hearing and first reading of the proposed tax rate ordinance on Sept. 9. The second reading of the budget ordinance will take place on Sept. 9. The Second reading on the tax rate ordinance will be on Sept. 23.