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| Magnolia council makes final changes to budget before deadline |
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In preparation for the Sept. 28 deadline to adopt its budget for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, the Magnolia City Council asked members of City Hall to make the final necessary changes to the 2009-10 fiscal year budget at a council meeting Sept. 8. Currently, the total budget for expenditures is $2.45 million, an increase from last year’s budget of $2.35 million. Notable changes approved by the council include cutting an additional $30,000 from the court budget, headed by Judge John Purvis, and approving an across-the-board salary increase of 2 percent for all but uniformed officers. In the wake of Mayor Jimmy Thornton asking city hall departments to cut $25,000-$30,000 from their budgets, some council members did not support the increases in salaries. “Folks, at this time, I cannot support a raise,” said Councilman John Bramlett during the meeting, citing the troubled economy. “If you cut a budget and turn around a give a raise, what’s the point of cutting it?” However, Councilwoman Patsy Williams supported the raises, saying that since the budget is “in the black,” the city can afford the increases. The council approved all six of the items Police Chief Paul Michna asked for, including purchasing a new car for the department and shift differential pay for certain officers that work after 6 p.m. The council also approved an item authorizing Michna to accept a $2,000 tobacco grant awarded to the chief and the Magnolia Police Department. After approving the items, Mayor Jimmy Thornton asked the chief to forego his 30-day resignation notice and stay with the city through Dec. 31. “You got all six items you wanted,” Thornton told Michna, “I’m asking you for one.” City Administrator Ryan Kelley said he would work to cut information technology expenses and what he called “enormous” electricity costs. A public hearing to adopt the 2009-10 fiscal year budget will be held Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Sewell Smith Council Chambers of City Hall, located at 18111 Buddy Riley Blvd.
Comments (2)
... written by exposed, September 18, 2009
Is anyone else confused? In the August 31, 2009 edition of the paper front page MAGNOLIA MAYOR TO CITY: CUT YOUR BUDGET.
The Mayor sent a “clear cut message” to all departments tighten the budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year. The Mayor made the request to the Police Chief, Judge Purvis and City Administrator Ryan Kelley trim the FAT at least $25,000 to $30,000 in each department. Now for this year the budget has increased from 2.35 to 2.45 MILLION, and only Judge Purvis has to cut $30,000 dollars from his budget? Sound like the council is punishing the Judge for them (Council) spending his money and wanting to hire his own people. But what’s even more outrageous the COUNCIL is giving across the board raises? CUT and RASISE and PATSY WILLIAMS supports the raise. Basically what WILLIAMS is saying in an unethical way is we are punishing you JUDGE by making you cut your budget and everyone else is ok and will give you an increase. Williams says since the City is in the BLACK… IN THE BLACK what planet is she on, oh yeah I forgot this is PATSY WILLIAMS this is the way she thinks, just like the CITY HALL fiasco where she says I’m just a women, but I can a*sure you if it was her house they were building the CITY HALL fiasco would have never happened. Let see if I can get this straight PATSY using a monthly budget. I have a certain amount of money for the month, I know what I can spend to stay within the budge, but I over spend, spending more than I should have for the month. So now I borrow money to make ends meet until the first of the month. Now it’s a new month does that mean I still don’t owe what I have borrowed? WILLIAMS is saying because it’s a new fiscal year and the City has new money it doesn’t matter that we still owe money from 2008 and it’s unknown what the 2009 audit will show! WILLIAMS and COUNCIL YOU STILL OWE 126K and an unknown amount of money since we still don’t know what entity you borrowed money from within the City to make ends meet or how much you borrowed, It was never an AGENDA ITEM. So included in the raises the COUNCIL has approved all six items the Police Chief asked for and the MAYOR then begged the Chief to stay. Is the Mayor attempting to buy the CHIEF “YOU GOT ALL SIX ITEMS “I’M (MAYOR) ASKING YOU (chief) FOR ONE.” This is Magnolia politics at its best. I wonder what the Mayor gave Kelley since Kelley recently was given an a*sistant. HEAVEN HELP US
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 14 September 2009 08:38 ) |
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"in the black" was determined how? A citizen should ask Williams to explain pages of the audit and the budget to them. Betcha she can't do it but she knows the city is in the black.
Clip this article folks, let's see if the next audit matches Williams determination of the city finances.