CITY OF BUDA
UTILITY LATE FEES/DISCONNECTS, CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS, MOBILE FOOD VENDOR FEES, AND INSPIRED MINDS ART CENTER
Utility Late Fees/Utility Disconnects Suspended for Two Months: As initially discussed at the March 20 City Council meeting, utility late fees and disconnects will be waived for the months of April and May. An ordinance was passed at the April 7 meeting to ratify the suspension of utility late fees and waive all utility disconnects for two months.
Credit Card Transaction Fees Waived: All in person or over the phone City-processed credit card transaction fees will be waived for two months beginning on April 8, 2020. The City processes and charges a $2.75 credit card transaction fee only on credit card transactions paid in person or over the phone. The City does not charge a transaction fee for online payments. However, the City’s financial software provider, Tyler Technologies, Inc., which hosts the website for city residents and businesses to make online payments, does collect its own online transaction fees.
Mobile Food Vendor Fee Waived for One Quarter (April Through June 2020): In order to provide relief to the City’s mobile food vendors, the mobile food vendor fee paid by vendors who operate in Buda will be waived for April, May, and June. There is a quarterly $55 “hot fee” for mobile food vendors who operate or sell hot food for human consumption and a quarterly $45 “cold fee” for mobile food vendors who operate or sell cold food for human consumption.
Inspired Minds Art Center (IMAC): At the March 20, 2020 Special Called City Council meeting, staff presented a request from the Inspired Minds Art Center to suspend the monthly license use fee due to the cancellation of classes because of COVID-19. The Inspired Minds Art Center opened in January 2020 after the City solicited requests for proposals to reuse the former City of Buda city hall located at 121 Main Street in downtown Buda. A public-private partnership was created with Inspired Minds, LLC. to assist with the City’s arts program. The Inspired Minds Art Center followed the City’s lead for city-sponsored events and suspended activity in mid-March because of COVID-19. On April 7, 2020, the City Council approved a two-month waiver of license use fees in the amount of $8,000.
