MIDLAND, Texas — On April 23, the City of Midland Planning and Development Officer Elizabeth Triggs outlined the recommendations provided by a financial master plan during a Midland City Council meeting. These recommendations included a list of capital needs followed by a rate structure realignment.
However, Midland City Council did not take any action on these recommendations.
One of these proposed rate structure realignments would increase fees such as that of the "Green Fee" at the Hogan Park Golf Course. It charges $21.25 for a day pass every Monday-Friday. That's not including weekends.
The proposed Green Fee would bump up the price to $30, and go up to $35 on Fridays through Sundays.
"I think the benefit though of the golf course is that we have the ability to fund those needs by looking at how we charge the people using the golf course," Triggs said. "So instead of relying on people paying property taxes, we're relying on the golf course as a business to fund the improvements that are needed."
According to Triggs, the financial master plan is one of the most costly renovations in the proposal, which includes changes to the irrigation systems that would be estimated to cost nearly $6 million.
During the city council meeting, Triggs said the quality of water is a large reason why the greens aren't at the level they should be, and therefore changes to the irrigation system are critical.
Included in the list of needs were changes to the cart barn, renovations to the clubhouse and the bathrooms.
"If the rate structure proposed by the master plan was adopted, we estimate that that could generate over $900,000 in new revenue which could then go to funding those needed capital improvements that all in all amount to a little over $23 million," said Triggs.
If Midland City Council were to approve changes to the rates as part of the budget process, the updated fees would not go into effect until October.