REFUGIO – The Refugio City Council voted to give approval for the purchase and renovation of an adjoining office space at a cost of $25,000 for the purchase and $150,000 for its renovation on Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Refugio County Chief Appraiser Connie Raymond said the appraisal district “is in dire need of more space. And we have been looking for quite some time.”

She said a building or relocating were considered.

But then the adjoining office was offered to the district at a purchase price of $25,000, and an estimate for renovations was made at $150,000.

“All we need is your approval,” she told the council.

And she said the Appraisal District has the funds for the purchase and renovation. So no city funds would be needed.

“All I need is approval to move forward,” she said.

The council voted unanimously to approve.

Raymond said the city is the fifth entity to give approval.

“We need approval from all the cities, school districts and county,” she said.

The council also heard from Donald Goldman of the auditing firm of Goldman, Hunt & Notz in Victoria.

Goldman said the city’s 2011-2012 audit was done by U.S. auditing standards.

He said the city received a “clean opinion,” the highest opinion given in an audit.

He said because of good financial stewardship, the city could operate for six months if it had to with no income.

The cities activities, he said, cost $3.6 million.

“This is big business,” he said.

He also mentioned that the city had $5.2 million in assets, an increase of about $100,000.

And he praised the city for not amending its budget over the year like so many other cities do.

Also, the council approved a resale-of-properties list of seven properties presented by Alice Garcia of Linebarger Goggan, attorneys at law in Corpus Christi.

The properties did not sell at the county level, so a list was provided that people bid on the properties.

“Approve this, and the properties will go back on the tax roll, and you can start collecting taxes,” Garcia said.

Properties included the following: 505 E. King St., 509 E. King St., 301 Shelly St., 207 Barefield St., 1108 Bayou St., 209 W. Federacion St. and 205 E. South Street.

The council also divvied out motel tax money to various 4-H organizations and to the Texas Independence Wine Classic.

Here’s the amounts each received:

4-H Livestock Judging Team, $3,179; 4-H Booster Association, $3,567.45; and Texas Independence Wine Classic, $12,155.

The Refugio Chamber of Commerce amount was tabled for a meeting at a later date.

The council also approved a Racial Profiling Report from Police Chief Andy Lopez.

Lopez said by law, the department is required to provide the report.

He said the report shows how many people were stopped by ethnicity, gender, for searches, number of consents, arrests and warnings.

He said 6,656 tickets and warnings were given last year.

“That’s a lot for a six-officer department,” he said.

The council also approved 25-cent raises for two employees finishing their probationary periods: Jarren Bland in the water department and Elston Howard Jones in the wastewater department.