City approves budget, to enforce cemetery regulations

By Melissa McCaghren

Slatonite GM

The City of Slaton Commissioners approved the 2023 operating budget and tax rate Monday evening (Sept. 12) during their monthly meeting.

The tax rate is set for $0.538644 per $100 valuation per $100.

The money is split into $0.385759 is the M&O tax rate and $0.152885 I&S tax rate.

The budget will raise more total property taxes than last year’s budget by $38,949.59 (2.74 percent).

Of that amount, $16,742 is tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year.

The increase will raise taxes on a $100,000 home by $9.25.

Commissioners also approved action to begin enforcing the current cemetery rules and regulations based on recommendations by the Cemetery Board.

Mayor Clif Shaw said appreciated the board’s input the past couple of months so far, but wanted to emphasize that it did not have the authority to enforce any rules.

“What they do have is the ability to come to the Commission with what they would like to see happen,” he said, adding all they want to do is to have the current regulations in place be enforced.

He added the rules are both on large signs around the cemetery at the entrance ways as well as given to families who have bought a plot.

“The rules state that the only thing that should be out there is a headstone and if you want flowers, decorations, flag, whatever, they  are required to be on the headstone in a non-glass container,” Shaw added.

“We’re not talking about taking stuff off the headstone, we’re talking about the odds and ends that people place around the graves that make it impossible for the City employees to do their job.”

Items such as borders around graves in areas that are not permitted to have one, benches, and other items are being looked at to see if they should be grandfathered in with no one else allowed to put them out.

For more information, including other items discussed by the City Commissioners, please read the Thursday edition of The Slatonite.