It is often said, "You cannot know where you are going unless you know where you have been."  Every rest stop in Texas has a map with an arrow that states, "You are here."  I wish to provide that same kind of reference point for the city today.   This information was not compiled to condemn nor condone, but to provide an accurate snapshot of the city’s current position with historical references.  I believe it is necessary for the new mayor, council and citizens to have an accurate picture of our city’s standing.

Since 2001, the city’s debt has increased from $37,835,000 to $105,104,926.  That is an increase of 278%.   The city’s tax rate has increased from .37 per hundred dollar value to .65 presently.  That is a 175% increase.  Permits in the city have increased 157% since 1998.  Our reserve funds or savings have gone down from $10.9 million to $8.6 million, a 20% decrease from 2007 until present.

While defending the city may be necessary, since 2004 the city has spent $2,846,706.05 dollars to fight lawsuits and other legal issues.

Since annexation seems to always be a topic of discussion, here is the historical data regarding that issue.  The city has annexed properties on twenty-nine separate occasions since 1998, with a total acquisition of 13,051 acres (20.39 square miles -- about the same size as DeSoto).

I wish to personally thank the city manager for his help in collecting this data, so our new mayor, council and citizens could have a complete picture of where the city stands today.  Please see the attached data sheets for reference of the numbers provided.

Sincerely,

Hank K. Miller D.C.