La Marque, a small city in Texas, is currently facing a major financial crisis. With just a couple of weeks’ worth of funds left in its reserves, city officials have taken emergency action to avoid shutting down essential services.
The situation has raised serious concerns among residents and leaders, pushing the city to come up with quick solutions to keep things running.
City Running Out of Funds Fast
At a press conference, interim city manager Barbara Holley and finance director Worth Ferguson revealed that La Marque has only $1.2 million in reserves. Given that the city spends nearly $60,000 daily to operate — not counting utility costs — this money might last just two weeks.
The sudden warning shocked many residents and raised questions about how things got this bad so quickly.
Emergency Financial Plan Approved
On Monday night, the La Marque City Council approved an emergency stabilization plan with three major steps:
Increase Property Tax: The council decided to raise property taxes from $0.39 to $0.45 per $100 of home value. For a house worth ₹50,000, this means around ₹30 extra per year. This increase will help the city qualify for short-term loans.
Cut Non-Essential Expenses: The city will freeze 15 vacant job positions, stop all travel and training for staff, and cancel plans for new technology purchases.
Seek Emergency Loans: The city will apply for emergency funding to cover disaster-related expenses that FEMA has not yet reimbursed. It will also request help from the city’s Economic Development Corporation.
Holley warned that depending on how bad the upcoming hurricane season gets, La Marque may need an extra ₹3 to ₹5 million to survive till the end of 2025.
How Did Things Go So Wrong?
Holley, who has only been in her role for five weeks, discovered the crisis shortly after joining. According to her, the previous leadership failed to keep up with basic financial responsibilities. They:
Did not collect as much money as they had planned.
Spent more than the approved budget.
Failed to provide regular financial statements, audits, or bank balance updates.
Despite these problems, Holley and Ferguson confirmed that there is no evidence of fraud.
Restoring Accountability and Trust
To rebuild public trust, the city is forming a new financial oversight committee. This group will include city council members, citizens, and representatives from the Economic Development Corporation. Their main goal is to bring back transparency in the way the city handles money.
From now on, city leaders promise to share monthly financial updates so residents stay informed.
Public Reactions and Concerns
People living in La Marque are worried and disappointed. Long-time resident Laura Divine said, “It’s sad that we’ve gotten ourselves here, and it hasn’t happened overnight.”
The situation may have developed over time, but residents now want to know how the city will move forward. The recent financial plan is just the beginning — and officials agree that strong, honest leadership is the key to pulling through.
With the emergency plan in place, La Marque is trying hard to avoid service cuts that could affect daily life. However, the road ahead is still uncertain, especially with hurricane season around the corner.
