Two plans the city of Mexico has looked at in the past are being brought back into the 2024 fiscal year budget.

A study to look at a new City Hall and public safety complex was put on the shelf and not included in last year’s budget. Also the city’s parks and recreation budget will include a study for a potential dog park in the city’s system. Both have faced hurdles but for different reasons.

City Manager Bruce Slagle told council members at a budget work session on Aug. 14, that the study for a new City Hall was supposed to be in last year’s budget but was taken out when the hospital unexpectedly closed almost a year ago.

“We really need to talk about ultimately what we’re going to do with this building,” Slagle said, talking about City Hall. He then pointed in the direction of the parking lot across the street. “I think everybody knows that’s what we bought this whole block over here and the idea that’s our future over there.”

Slagle said when the city talks about recruiting new employees facilities make a difference, especially on the public safety side. Council Member Larry Webber said the idea of replacing City Hall was talked about when he was on the council in the 1980s.

“It hasn’t changed that much,” Webber said. “It was bad back then.”

The dog park has a different challenge. 

“Our problem really is not what to build or how to build it,” Parks and Recreation Director Chad Shoemaker told council members. “Funding it out there and people are willing to step up. Our problem is where.”

Shoemaker said the idea of a dog park has been discussed for about a decade with no movement after people start talking.

“Everything that we have tried to build has been met with resistance from one party or another through the process,” Shoemaker said.

Shoemaker said every time a site is chosen people who live in the adjoining neighborhood speak out against it. Shoemaker said he’s spoken with supporters of the plan and has told them his department needs support and the park needs to be part of the system’s master plan.

“So we can find out if there’s a neighborhood in Mexico that’s not going to throw a big fit about building this,” Shoemaker said.

Shoemaker said if they continue to run into problems his department is going to pick the best site and present it to the council and at that point they can make the move. 

“There’s going to be some political backlash no matter where we put it,” Shoemaker said.

Council Member Steve Haag questioned why anyone living near a proposed dog park would be upset. He said any concerns about there being too much noise are a little overblown.

“I just don’t think it’s going to be as loud and obnoxious as some people think,” Haag said. “All of a sudden we’re going to have 300 dogs in the dog park.”

Shoemaker said perceptions are real however and his department has to work around those perceptions no matter what the issue is.

“We try to be good neighbors to people who live on the border of our properties,” Shoemaker said. “I have a lot of neighbors and if they were all up here angry all the time you wouldn’t be happy.”