Bryan Council Recap Includes Economic News from SEC & Moving Election Dates

The Southeastern Conference adding Texas A&M University has already generated an economic development shot in the arm. Bryan Mayor Jason Bienski during Tuesday night’s council meeting noted the city receiving a half dozen permit requests for new hotels.

Bryan Mayor Jason Bienski comments on the city receiving applications for hotel permits.

Final action was also taken to move city elections to November, keep council terms at three years, and extend present council terms by six months by skipping next May’s election. City Secretary Mary Lynne Stratta says the city saves in two ways. Stratta says keeping May elections would have required buying $445,000 of equipment and that’s after cutting one-third of voting locations.

City Secretary Mary Lynne Stratta on savings by moving elections to November.

And Stratta learned non-partisan elections and issues could be placed at the top of the ballot with permission of the Brazos County Commissioner’s Court.

Mary Lynne Stratta comments on ballot order decided by county commissioners.

Earlier this summer similar action was taken by the Bryan school board. The changes were necessitated by changes in federal and state law.

The new Bryan city budget year is ready to start on Saturday. The city council…minus Mike Southerland, who continues to recover from heart surgery…unaminously approved holding the tax rate a tenth consecutive year. Residential electric rates charged by BTU will increase two percent.

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