Alexander aldermen will be presented an amended budget for the 2015
calendar year at their monthly meeting tonight. The meeting will be held
Monday, June 15, 6 PM in the city hall courtroom. The public is invited to
attend.
The budget was passed at the end of January shortly before the required
February 1 deadline. It is expected this budget will take care of any loose
ends caused by the hurried need to pass a budget.
Mayor Paul Mitchell was elected in the November, 2014 General Election
along with council members. Only two of them were re-elected. The previous
administration did not present a budget for review, or a vote of the council,
before the end of 2014.
Did you ever notice how people are drawn to negativism? There is never a shortage of gossip; finger pointing; back stabbing, etc. But when it comes to your tax paying dollars, I hope this gets your attention..
ReplyDeleteCity hall has had to work with a budget stripped to the bone, because Andrea Bearden insisted HER – not the Mayor’s budget – HER BUDGET be passed by an brand new green council in January; (where only two aldermen, who happened to run unopposed were re-elected.) And what was wrong with her budget? I can accept that it was stripped to the bone because she didn’t have “good” information to start with – of course, bare in mind she had every single bank statement from 2014 showing every single deposit made, which determines the starting point to any budget, That aside,
A.) 14-58-201 says it is the MAYOR’s budget, not the alderman’s budget – not the city council budget, not the bookkeeper’s; not the treasurer’s – THE MAYOR’S.
1. We have police cars that have no budget for vehicle insurance.
2. We have some fire trucks left that haven’t been repossessed – yet. But have no budget for insurance for them either. These aren't little ooops; this is a major omission, folks!
3. On the other hand, we have the McKeon’s and Ms Bearden who would waive business licenses for people who were negligent in renewing them in the first place, because they are friends.
4. We have Ms Bearden who tabled the amended budget, for the simple reason, it isn’t ‘her budget.’ Frankly, I’ve had an opportunity to see her budget, and I’m a layman, with no experience with budgets and I can see the holes in it a mile away.
5. There is no budget for the city’s trash pick-up – anywhere. But there is an ordinance that outlaws the accumulation of trash.
6. Ms Bearden is calling for bids for building improvements on the Old City Hall.
7. Guess what – no money in her budget for that either.
8. HOWEVER the appropriation for the upgrades for Old City Hall IS IN THE MAYOR”S BUDGET that Ms Bearden had tabled. Go figure!!!
9. I don’t think I would allow this person to budget dog food for me, much less the city’s budget.
Nor would I allow her to be a spokesperson for me. Her smoke-screen dominating behavior is right out of the McKeon’s class on rhetoric 101.
And McKeon, yup this is the same McKeon that is the manager of the water company that jacked your water bill through the roof with the claim of a new system that was needed, and a promise to reduce it back down in couple of years when the improvements were paid for. Did yours come back down? Mine didn’t.
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ReplyDeletehe is correct and the facts are too. I have seen both budgets
Deletesome1 is full of hot air and it aint the mayor surprise surprise. some1 should have ran for mayor if thats what she wanted
ReplyDeleteYou know this place breeds lies and negativity. Every bit of the first rant is a lie. No it was not my budget, it was created by a council in workshop meetings for 2014 as stated in January. It also had input from JoAn (current bookkeeper). The insurance was put in under the Arkansas municipal league insurance program, as it has for over 3 years now. All police, fire, buildings etc. so before you spout off please get your facts straight. "Get it done" you know this you were there, as well as "bobmac". I'm not real sure what the big issue is, the budget has not been followed yet. You two should be ashamed of yourself, if anyone does not agree to follow blindly behind your ideas we suffer from ridicules. I do not believe that it was such an emergency to pass without sufficient time to look at it. One question though, I know the answer, I just want to see if you will print the truth. If it's the "Mayors" budget then why does the council need to vote on it? What does the law book say about the organization of city council, who establishes it? Who can vote on it? If you would spend as much time helping in the city as you do tearing it down we could turn this city's reputation around. I'm flattered you give me so much credit just remember I am one vote. The, as you call them, "Green Council" is very capable of making their own decisions and they all have a vote. I'm not sure why you refer to them as such, there are only 3 new that have not served before. This again is another false statement from you. I hope you have a blessed day, I will pray for you.
ReplyDeleteAndrea, you and I have not worked on a budget for over 2 to 2 1.2 years, when you, Juanita and I took the old 2012 budget apart, sectioning it off into departments, and trying to up-grade it. We were using information from 2011 and 2012, I do not believe for one minute you would bring in something that old. I know how hard you worked to get on the city council. I don’t believe you would shoot yourself in the foot like that. So much has changed, information that old would have no bearing today. Surely you see that in the financials, I know you do.
ReplyDeleteThe budget you presented is the only one we are using. And we check line items every day and correct what we can. Some things just have no budget covering them, so it looks like they are over-budget, while the truth is those costs are necessary and need to be addressed. An amended budget covers more ‘territory’ in one step that having to come back every month with “a little here, a little there.”
There is no insurance for those very necessary expenses in your budget; the ones you mention are a few cents on the dollar to the actual cost. They need to be separated and monitored. Whether they were always that way or not is a moot point, they are very under-funded at this point.
As for your question; Bob-mac quoted it correctly. The fact is the elected body does it all. The intent of state legislature is “working together.”
The mayor, working with his department heads and taking information from financials (cash deposits for revenue) comes up with what it will take to run the day to day business of the city, and submits it to Council for approval.
Council being already acquainted with what the financials contain approve, suggest, tweek, etc. and pass.
Once passed it is the exclusive power of the mayor to not only use the budget to run the city, but to monitor department heads to see the budget isn’t over-drawn. He also uses it to assure the citizens are getting full use of their tax dollars.
It is the responsibility of the Council to read those financials every month to make sure the various accounts aren’t over-spent. That is granted by State law. It isn’t going over everything with a fine tooth comb. That is administration’s responsibility.
The point of the whole Council/Mayor form of government is shared responsibility. And while we like company from time to time, going over everything we have already done is very time consuming.
RE: Organization of City Council. It clearly states the Governing Body, at the first meeting of the year puts the instrument in place. While I fully agree it is a City Council meeting. It is ‘operated’ by the mayor – another opportunity to work together. Everyone seems to be so afraid one side is getting ‘ahead’ of the other side. Speaking as a NO VOTE, there seems to be a lot of people who look to see how another member votes and votes accordingly. That’s probably not the sorriest part, each thinks it is the other guy doing it.
If all this energy could be put to the positive, we could get a lot done.
JoAn Churchill
JoAn you are correct "you and I" did not work on the budget, Juanita and you did. Now as I stated from the beginning the budget does need to be reworked I am NOT opposed to that. I have told you in the past "we" did the best with what we had to work with. Now you yourself stated all expenses were not budgeted, insurance for city was, what is the #1 rule about spending tax dollars not budgeted? This is your opportunity to state facts again. I am not opposed to passing a blanket revised budget "from the mayor", however he should be able too explain changes. Same with the council and organization neither named could do that. Makes me question why. I have been looking at the proposed budget, I like a lot of the new line items, it is somewhat easier to read. I know your handy work is all over it as I have seen your work in the past. I just wanted more than 7 hours to go over it. Henceforward I pray we could get our complete packet the Tuesday before our scheduled meeting. As for how everyone else votes, I can not control that. One could set back and see that happens no matter how I am voting. You are right I do work hard for every citizen in Alexander and will continue to, as I hope you, all employees, and elected officials will. As I stated yesterday I am tired of Alexander having a bad name and I want it to shine in a positive light.
DeleteMy point again is the budget from a few years ago that Juanita, you and I worked on at your kitchen table could not be this current one you presented in January. It is too old, and couldn't apply.
DeleteDid I help with this one - of course I did, I am the bookkeeper, I work with it every day, who else does. Ken can't - council keeps him strung out on unnecessary demands and leaves him no time to do anything else.
Frankly I literally nag at Paul that it (budget) needs updated to something usable. Trash pick-up is posted under building maintenance (one example). He has been aware of it for a long time, also he urged patience, for one thing we needed more time to gain information to establish a good 'average' by or with. This was his caution. I think, if you look closely, the Mayor is very cautious, moves slowly on purpose, and rarely does anything twice because of it.
We will need to audit - again - now 6 months work to make sure things are posted properly - if and when the new budget is approved.
On getting packets on Tuesday, if they aren't too large, and the work load too heavy, and reports all in on time, it is easy to do. Lately there has been a lot to do. The one thing that comes in late is minutes, and that isn't pointing fingers, everyone taking minutes delays, and O.C.C. gives 4 working days to make them available. They never are. I'm not fussing, just stating a fact.
Everyone has ambitions, putting the community first is a claim, but not always an ambition.
JoAn Churchill
Funny I don't remember asking Ken to do anything special, although I have pointed out to him mistakes that slipped by you, him, mayor and 7 council members. Then I get blasted here for it.
DeleteTHIS ONE NEEDS TO GO IN RIPLEY'S "BELIEVE IT OR NOT!"
DeleteHumm Ken does not feel or say this to me. He tries to do a job he was appointed to do and you refuse to comply. Maybe that's why he wants to toss in the towel
DeleteOne other note, the insurance you mentioned above is listed only as "Property Insurance" The mayor has named them because there is a property policy, vehicle, work comp, etc are all separate policies, with their own policy numbers.
ReplyDeleteJoAn
As I stated before we did the best we could with what we had to work with. Our reasoning was we all pay property taxes and real estate, since we did not receive accurate records for each we put it all under one. I do have a question though, if it is so wrong to consolidate the insurance line, why is it not wrong to consolidate payroll?
DeleteTaxes aren't an issue, the reason the insurance is; is because when Paul first took office, there was a small budget for property insurance, but only some property was insured. We had to get the rest of the buildings included and properly billed, then there was ARML defense coverage which is different from legal expense, work comp policy vs work comp expense, etc. It is correctly addressed in the new budget.
DeleteIn answer to your last question, payroll is handled the way it was and is in Paychex. You would never be able to reconcile a bank statement without a very time-consuming 'recreation' on a spreadsheet. We don't have that kind of time, so we do it 'their way.' I don't think it would be ethical to have two sets of books anyway and maybe not even legal.
Look Paul's budget over and see what you think.
I'm just a 'key-punchin' pencil pusher, no authority, no vote and preferring it that way. ;-)
JoAn
So there was $ just not enough, that I can by. As I stated before we did the best with what we had to work with. NONE of the previous or current council claim to be perfect, we will make mistakes, I ask that instead of trying to tear them down help them with positive ideas. All of them, the division is helping no one. I am looking over the budget, I hope everyone else is as well
DeleteAndrea, another point on payroll. When working with emergency responders (police and fire and often street department; storm damage clean-up or icy road conditions) you have to have room for over-time. When you have a line item wage budgeted at minimum, one hour over blows the entire budget.
DeleteWhen the taxpayer’s money goes into public coffers, they have a right to expect to see the most for that money; they aren’t interested in seeing it in a reserve account. One old council (and some current ones) like(d) to say “don’t do anything to make the mayor look good” and they shot themselves in the foot doing that. To the public we are one body, if one looks bad, we all do. When we do well, we all gain from it; the general public and the public servant alike both ‘pro’ and ‘con’.
JoAn Churchill
JoAn there was money in the Budget for ot. It was figured at the hourly rate per line per position for that very reason. I was made fun of on this sight for the math not "adding up". I have never made that statement about the mayor or anyone for that matter in the city. I for one know I am tired of everyone snubbing their nose at Alexander, I want to move forward in a positive light
DeleteTruth Hurts!
ReplyDeleteJoAn has a point, putting your energy into fairness, truth and progress - a little less in self defense and back patting.
As long as you are back-patting, check around - you cross one of your cronies - just once - and you'll finds a blade back there.
TRUTH ?? Ok bob-mac....
ReplyDeleteSpecial Meeting, June 29, 6:00 PM
ReplyDeleteHow come you are notifying council after it was posted to public, unless the three made sure the forth and the mayor would be there for a quorum. And why did the three that called the meeting not call the council themselves, why are they assigning the task to our bookkeeper (your words)? As I have stated in the past communications is key and this city is seriously lacking.
ReplyDeleteAndrea, why did you tell me it is illegal to have a meeting if you post first THEN call??? Another grandstanding smokescreen!
ReplyDeleteAssuring a quorum is pretty standard whether you are the City of Alexander or Donald Trump or Entergy! You do it, previous administrations do it, and every public corporation I've ever heard of do it. It not only is legal, it is GOOD business.
Why call for the three who called the meeting? Who happened to be at the Municipal League Meeting as you were? It is called WORKING TOGETHER, doing a favor for a co-worker. If YOU had called the meeting and asked I would have called for you as well. It wasn't an assigned task, it is working together.
There are things lacking in the community, but as you mentioned above - over and over, you are doing here, ridicule, finger pointing, What is not communicated???????
JoAn Churchill
JoAn my simple question was why did they not mention it? Two of the three were there...you mentioned grand standing not me. I just ask the question and you want to ridicule me, why? It is not legal read the law book on how to call a meeting DO IT LEGALLY
DeleteGrandstanding would be not to show up, and I intend on being there! It only would have made since for Dan or Jeff to have approached the breakfast table Thursday morning and mentioned the special meeting to the four members setting there, would it have not?
DeleteIf the decision had been made by then.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe it had been - however, ask them.
Andrea, you aren't a 'victim.'
JoAn, there you go again with the name calling and ridicules. Maybe you can't help it, all because I or anyone else who questions the way things are being done. To listen to your above expectation, you explained that the three who called the meeting was "at the municipal league conference" (in which only two were), they called and posted the meeting in Alexander all the while in Little Rock at the state house convention center now that's talent. Or did the citizens pay the employees to post it? I believe the tax payers are the victims, that is why I ask the questions I do.
ReplyDelete98% accuracy here!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhere is the name calling? Read above very carefully.
FOR THE RECORD:
There is a legally called 'Special Council Meeting' Monday, June 29, 2015 - 6:00 PM at Alexander Municipal Complex. Public, Media, and City Council are invited to attend..
JoAn Churchill
It's an illegally called meeting anyway. The agenda is not included. You two need to get a grip.
ReplyDeleteI realize that as well just not sure why the secrets
DeleteBut thanks for stating facts I'm not sure what David S was asked, but I don't believe he was given all facts
DeleteAccording to David Schoen it is legally called, but you are absolutely right, I need to get off here
ReplyDelete