CCPD BUDGET APPROVED
Following a public hearing at Tuesday’s Fort Worth City Council meeting, council members unanimously approved the 2019-20 Crime Control Prevention District budget of $87,865,005.
District 7 Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Dennis Shingleton had said previously, “It’s an historic budget, and we’ve come to depend on it in our police department, ” adding, “I think it’s necessary, considering the growth of the city.”
The budget includes five major initiatives that feature joint efforts between sworn-in officers and civilians:
*Enhanced enforcements.
*Neighborhood crime prevention.
*Partners with a shared mission.
*Recruitment and training.
*Equipment, technology and infrastructure.
DFW AIRPORT BUDGET APPROVED
The Fiscal Year 2020 budget of $1,042 billion for the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was approved by the Fort Worth City Council at its Tuesday meeting.
Key themes in the budget are:
*Lowest increase in airline cost since 2011 (2.3%); all airline key performance indicators improving for first time.
*•Lower cost per enplanement (down $0.28).
*Lower landing fees (down $0.22).
*Lower terminal rentals (down $3).
*Record passenger forecast of 75.7 million (4.6% increase).
*Record DFW Cost Center net revenues of $164 million, an increase of $18.3 million (12.6%).
*Modest increase in expenditure budget, $23.1 million (2.3%). This assumes DFW takes over Terminals A and C custodial work from American Airlines (without this
budget is up 1.4%). Funds strategic priorities for customer experience, safe and secure, and operational excellence ($9.1 million). Lower net debt service (savings of $10.1 million, 3.0%).
DFW Airport’s rankings include being fourth in global flights and 15th in global passengers. They have 164 gates, seven runways serving 190 domestic destinations and 63 international for a $37 billion annual economic impact.
In 2019, the airport is expected to serve about 72.4 million passengers.
Tax benefits to area cities in the 2018 fiscal year (2019 not yet announced) included $6.5 million to Fort Worth and $7.6 million to Dallas, respectively, an increase of 5.6% from the previous year.
There are no planned increases for public parking this year. There will, however, be an increase from $4 to $6 for those passing through.
The council also approved interim financing and a commercial paper program by the airport in connection with a pair of supplemental bond ordinances. The first will establish the perimeters of the program, and the second would set it up with a limit of $750 million in taxable commercial paper in a seven-year program.
An interim financing program lowers interest rates, saving money during construction. Taxable commercial paper obligations are sold at a fixed interest rate with maturities up to 270 days, providing for self-liquidity.
The new Terminal F will have a cost of between $3 and $3.5 billion, and there are several other projects going on.
The council also approved DFW revenue bond debt being an approved Public Facilities Finance Corporation project.
While it is highly unlikely that the airport would not be able to pay future debt service, approval provides investors and rating agencies more assurance that the airport would
use the PFIC’s unencumbered cash, if necessary, to pay DFW’s debt service.