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LEWISVILLE — For the town of Lewisville, it was a deal that almost seemed too good to be true.

When the town found out the “old post office” property, which is located between town hall and the town hall annex, was for sale, Lewisville quickly moved forward to acquire what Stacy Tolbert, the new town manager, called “a great opportunity.”

So in a new item added to the new business part of last Thursday night’s meeting agenda, the town council unanimously approved the purchase of the property for $700,000 at 6524 Shallowford Road (former Lewisville Post Office owned by Donald R. Simpson) that includes a 3,000-square-foot building on 1.09 acres.

“When we discovered the property was for sale, we immediately went to town council and asked if they were interested in staff pursuing the opportunity,” Tolbert said. “Council agreed it would be a great opportunity for the town to have all of our service area in one overall location, and they agreed the space was needed for our public works department. From there, we contacted the sellers.”

Tolbert said on Monday that the town hoped to have a signed purchase agreement this week and added that buying the tract in the heart of Lewisville was made possible through the town’s Public Works Capital Reserve, which was funded with ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) money.

“With us having savings set aside in a capital reserve fund, we were able to take advantage of such a great opportunity for the town,” Tolbert said.

In addition to purchasing the property for $700,000, the council approved an ordinance for the public works facility with an initial budget of $1 million, which includes the purchase price along with $300,000 for any future renovations and improvements that might occur for the multi-year project.

The new post office is located at 7011 Great Wagon Road just across from the Roller Mill. This is a new building that was built on a vacant lot. The old post office remained in operation until the new building was fully functional. 

Leading off the new business portion of the meeting was the fiscal year 2024-25 budget message from Tolbert, which included a General Fund budget of $7,221,891 and a property tax increase from 17.7 cents per $100 of valuation to 21.7 cents per $100 of valuation — an increase of four cents.

“This is the document that’s going to guide us through this next year and our expenditures,” said Mayor Mike Horn. “Again, the budget is a reflection of the town vision, our priorities and our philosophies.”

The budget shows an increase in the General Fund budget from the previous year budget of $1,008,514 or 16.2 percent and is balanced with $387,586 in fund balance from the General Fund. This fund balance appropriation represents the costs associated with projects that are not recurring operational costs.

The estimated tax base for the town is $1,770,509,128 producing Ad Valorem tax revenue of $3,765,165 with one cent of the tax rate generating approximately $173,510.

The town’s largest expense is the contract for solid waste and recycling collection ($1,605,860) with a renegotiated contract for a five-year period to begin July 1, 2024, with a cost of increase of approximately $648,000 or 68 percent for fiscal year 2024-25 compared to last year. Of the four-cent increase in the property tax rate, three cents are necessary to fund this increase in the cost of this service for town residents.

The town’s second largest expense is the contract with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office ($1,035,720) for the community policing program with a contract for fiscal year 2024-25 increasing approximately $191,000 or 24 percent. Of the four-cent increase in the property tax rate, one cent is necessary to fund this increase in the cost of this program.

“Excluding our contract with Waste Management and the sheriff’s office, our actual operating budget is less than it was in last year’s budget,” Horn said. “So the increases that were reflected are simply the services that we receive, and we have to pass that along in some way to be able to continue with the level of service that we have.”

The final budget was approved in a 5-1 vote with council member Ivan Huffman opposed.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the mayor and town council for their vision and guidance as we worked to develop a budget that would provide resources to implement their policies and address community needs,” Tolbert said.

In other highlights from last Thursday night’s meeting, the council:

• Approved the rezoning and annexation of the property at 2065 Glenn Ferry Court, changing the zoning from Forsyth County RS-30 to Town of Lewisville RS-30 and extending the town’s corporate limits to include the property. 
• Heard that Ed Smith has agreed to again serve as the town’s representative on the Triad Municipal Alcohol Beverage Control System Board.
• Heard that the 10th Annual Street Party & Food Truck Festival will be on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. featuring music by The Band of Oz and 20 food vendors, and that a Special Independence Day Concert will be held on Saturday, June 29, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. featuring music by Jim Quick & Coastline along with a Tribute by the American Legion Post 522.