Baxter Approves Final Budget with Commercial Growth Increasing Revenues

Baxter has approved its final $1.2 million budget for the next fiscal year.

Mayor John Martin said that new commercial growth is expected to boost revenues for the city. Martin said infrastructure and new vehicles were areas Baxter wanted to target.

“We’re looking at a Fast Lane project to repave quite a bit of that,” Martin said. “It’s going to be right in front of where the new Taco Bell is going to be. So we’re probably going to have to do some milling of that road.”

Martin said there will be two new vehicles added to the police department and a new truck for the water department. Martin said he does not foresee a property tax increase for Baxter, but is waiting on the state to bring a rate forward.

Martin said the commercial growth helping Baxter also includes new Mexican food restaurants and an 8,000 square foot convenience store in south Baxter.

“It should be considerably good, we’re looking at Taco Bell. We’re going to have a ground breaking at Taco Bell on July 12,” Martin said. “Fiesta Cancun, which has been a project in the making for going on five years. They contacted me last week and they’re ready to start their project. They’re already committed, they’ve already contracted a builder to do this and I’ve talked to the builder and he said probably three to four weeks he should have the plans completed.”

Martin said that with the budget in a good place, no cuts had to be made to city spending. He said that one of the biggest contributing factors to growing the tax base can be attributed to the Portobello plant, which is expected to add over 200 jobs in Baxter.