In their regular meeting Monday night, the Italy Economic Development Corporation passed a resolution to reduce the monthly payment to the City of Italy from $800 per month to $300 per month.

Teri Murdock, City Administrator, told the EDC board members that she will no longer perform the duties of the secretary. She explained that Ronda Cockerham will be take her place beginning in October.

For the past year, Murdock has been paid approximately $500 per month for performing the administration duties for the EDC. With the new resolution, she would only receive $100 per month. She told the board she was not willing to do the work for only $100 per month.

“I don’t just attend the meetings,” Murdock explained. “I perform all the duties of the secretary including writing checks, balancing bank accounts, doing paperwork for grants, generating agends and other paperwork that is needed among other things.”

“We did a survey of other towns in Ellis County and was told that most of them pay around $3,200 per year. That is why we reduced the payment to the city,” explained Jackie Cate.

Murdock said the sales tax for September was $6,189.11 which is down 1.52%, but up 2.8% for the year.

She said the balance in the operating account $1,280.31; balance in the money market account $125,750.47; balance in the escrow account $37,313.00; and balance in the debt service account $11,282.68.

“This board should be purchasing land and developing that land,” said Jackie Cate.

“We are land locked as far as water,” Teri Murdock replied..

“The city has to spend the money to do whatever it takes to increase our CCN,” Cate added. “We cannot allow South Ellis County Rural Water to tell us how our city grows.”

Board members Charles Hyles, Joyce Hobbs and Randy Boyd were absent.