OVERTON, Texas — Overton city council members called a special meeting to discuss the city’s budget, loans and potential changes to the police department.
Resident Denise Hill put her concerns on the table.
“We have city streets that are torn up still. We have passed two bills. We have funds that haven't been paid. We have water that we can't drink," she said.
Hill's biggest concerns were the continual boil water notices and feeling like the city is fighting an uphill battle.
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Senior finance clerk Wendy Bates sees the bills piling up every day.
“I have not been able to pay them. The city does not have the money in the account. I don’t know what else to do," she explained.
In front of a room full of fellow residents, Hill pressed the council for answers.
"What’s the plan?" She said. "Where are we going to get the money to fix all these problems so that citizens aren’t basically funding the everyday operations of our city?”
Finance director Christie Watkins understood her frustration and offered a solution.
“I’ve already informed some of my councilmembers that we are going to have a regular council meeting of problems,” she said.
Hill rebutted, “I could stand up here and air all of our dirty laundry, but at the end of the day, what's the plan to get our audits caught up?”
Councilmembers said they want to be more transparent moving forward and give residents regular updates about where the city stands with those audits that are currently four years behind.