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SMITHVILLE — City Manager Robert Tamble announced this week he will retire in November, closing out his tenure after what has become a heated and laborious budget season.
City officials said Tamble, who first took on the role in 2014, will continue to serve in his current capacity as city manager, airport manager and emergency management coordinator through Nov. 3. He said he hopes to ensure a smooth succession and transition for Smithville.
“It has been an honor to serve as your city manager for the past 11 years,” Tamble said in the announcement. “I feel that I have left the city of Smithville in a better position than I found it and I am thankful for the opportunity.”
City Council met in executive session Sept. 8 to begin planning for Tamble’s successor. Officials said they have begun working with an executive search firm to help find an interim city manager until a permanent, qualified replacement is hired.
City operations and projects will continue uninterrupted, according to officials.
The announcement comes as the city navigates what Tamble has called an “arduous” budget process.
Reports show the city’s average taxable value of a single-family home dropped 2.35% to $251,837 this year, and the number of tax exemptions for seniors rose from 464 to 500 — about a $154,000 shortfall in tax revenue.
The city’s initial budget proposal called for a 15.26% property tax rate increase, along with a $3 million tax note, to address its declining values and rising costs — a plan that drew sharp criticism from community members and State Rep. Stan Gerdes, a Smithville resident.
Gerdes has repeatedly blasted the proposal, citing what he described as unnecessary spending and calling on city leaders to “deliver relief, not another tax hike.”
According to Tamble, debt financing is common in municipal budgets and Smithville’s outlook remains strong. He also pointed to potential grant funding and delayed development projects that could add $50 million to $75 million in taxable value if they move forward.
City Council has since directed Tamble to revise the plan with a lower tax rate. The community gathered Wednesday evening for another budget discussion.
Municipalities across Bastrop County have until Sept. 30 to finalize budgets.
More details to come in the Courier.
