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The Tomball City Council passed the proposed 2012-13 budget 3-2, during a regular session Aug. 6. Council members Derek Townsend and Mark Stoll voted no on the proposed budget.

City Manager George Shackelford explained the budget process and how staff members came up with the estimates.

“Obviously this year we are collecting more in sales tax revenue than we projected, but things happen so we wanted to be conservative with our estimates,” he said.

The budget process includes three major funds. The general fund provides for day-to-day operations of the city and its departments, the enterprise funds are revenues collected for water, sewer and gas services, while the debt service fund is the fund that pays off city debt like bonds.

The city is expecting about $16.3 million in revenues for the general fund and projects to spend about $15.5 million of that next fiscal year. Thos funds include about $20,000 designed to send all council members and some members of the Sister City organization to Telgte, Germany, for the sister city’s anniversary celebration. Townsend and Stoll took issue with that.

“I feel that council needs to reconsider this,” Stoll said. “The Tomball Sister City Organization is a separate organization which does not fall under the City of Tomball’s control. They do not need the taxpayer’s assistance (to send their members to Germany).”

Stoll went on to say that he would support the city paying the airfare for the mayor and city manager, so that they can represent Tomball at the event.

“Keep in mind that the council passed a 36 percent tax increase on taxpayers last year,” Stoll added. “How do you think this expense is being taken in their homes?”

Townsend agreed.

“I received several phone calls and I’ve got to agree with Councilman Stoll,” he said.

Both Townsend and Stoll said they could not approve of the budget with that expense in it.

In other business, the council approved spending $36,000 to purchase several pieces of property along Elm Street and also named Grady Martin, president of the Tomball Sister City Organization, as the 2012 Mayor’s Volunteer of the Year.

Martin was shocked by the announcement.

“Oh wow, this is a great honor, thank you so much,” he said.

Council also approved expenditures for several yearly events, including $12,000 in hotel-motel tax funds for the second annual Bugs, Brew and Barbeque event, $60,000 from the same fund for the annual Tomball German Christmas and the Tomball German Heritage festivals.

Council also approved a bid from TJ&T Enterprises of a little more than $210,000 to improve concrete streets within the city.

Finally council approved a two-year grant that will enable the fire department to hire nine more full-time firefighters.

There will be a final public hearing and vote on next year's budget, at the Aug. 20 meeting.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to pack the streets of Tomball this weekend, for the 13th annual Tomball German Heritage Festival, March 22-24.

"I keep saying this every year, but we are expecting to get bigger and we are adding more quality events," said Grady Martin, president of the Tomball Sister City Organization.

The three day festival will consist of four stages, with more than 400 performers, including bands, musicians, singers and dancers.

"We also will have a bluegrass stage all weekend at the Depot, over by the gazebo," Martin said.

The Alex Meixner Band will be performing all three days, at the Ziegenbock stage. Meixner is a Grammy nominated accordion performer, known worldwide.

"This will be the only performance he has where the public can see him for free," said Martin.

There will also be booths filled with more than 100 vendors, peddling everything from cigars to candy and beer to homemade bratwursts.

"Of course the carnival will be there like always," Martin added.

There will also be a petting zoo, street performers, arts and crafts, a heritage center and a special church service Sunday morning at 10 a.m., near the gazebo.

Martin also said that Saturday morning, at 10:45 a.m., the head of the German Consulate in Houston, Klaus Gluecke and Tomball Mayor Gretchen Fagan will lead a short walking parade from City Hall to the Depot Plaza, where a ceremonial keg will be tapped in honor of German heritage.

Martin said that the event last year drew close to 40,000 visitors and he expects more this year.

"The city took pictures from Michael 1 (the police department's air unit) last year," he said. "They studied them and then used a state formula and came up with an estimate of 40,000 people last year."

"If we have good weather, then we expect an even bigger crowd this year," Martin added.

The event schedule includes Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with events all over the downtown Tomball area. Admission is free.

"Each year we keep getting bigger and I think it's all because we have shown how great of a place Tomball is to visit," Martin said.

For more information visit www.tomballgermanfest.org.

Dear Editor:

I live in Magnolia (Decker Prairie area) but I do pay taxes to Tomball ISD and shop in Tomball. While it's encouraging to see revenue rising in Tomball and predicted budget surpluses, I feel it is entirely inappropriate to be spending $20,000 to send city "officials" on a junket to Germany at this time, while economic uncertainty hangs over the entire country as well as our local economies. The amount may be small potatoes as part of the overall budget, but the message it sends is much larger. Many of us had to forego vacations this summer as a result of belt tightening in our personal budgets. Shades of the federal GSA scandals we have all seen lately on a local scale.

Bill Forcht

Magnolia