Conroe City Council discussed adding and changing a few items in the city's proposed operating and capital improvement budgets for fiscal year 2018-19 at the Aug. 9 regular meeting.

“We’ve made a few changes since the council retreat, and I wanted to cover those here really quickly,” said Collin Boothe, assistant director of finance. “We added six additional firefighters to begin the phase-in of four-man staffing, and eliminated [proposed] battalion chiefs.”

The four-person team fire station staffing will be effective Jan. 1, 2019.
Other updates include adding a staff grant writer and a permit coordinator positions, a strategic planning study and the use of tree mitigation funds for Stewart Creek drainage.

"I'm glad we got the firefighters and all the other items we were concerned about in the budget," Conroe Mayor Toby Powell said.

The council unanimously set the final vote on the FY 18-19 budget for Thursday, Aug. 23.

A second public hearing on the proposed tax rate—$0.4175 per $100 valuation, which is no change from the existing rate—is scheduled for a special meeting Aug. 20 at 9:30 a.m.

In other news Thursday, the council:
-unanimously approved $59,000 for fire trucks from Siddons-Martin Emergency Group, which provides fire trucks and emergency vehicles; and,
-repealed the plan review, approval and construction inspection requirements for Municipal Utility District No. 164, southeast of Grangerland.