Alexander council overturns mayor's vetoes

In two separate votes the Alexander City Council overturned two vetoes presented by Mayor Hobbs at the January 27 council meeting. The vetoes were against actions taken by council members during a special financial meeting held January 21.

The two vetoes tried to undo a spending freeze and a redistribution of sales tax revenue voted on during the special meeting. During her comments explaining her veto of the spending freeze she claimed it was "for the good of the city."

Voting to overturn both vetoes were aldermen Farren Wadley, Brad Scott, Andrea Bearden, Faye McKeon, Juanita Wilson and Lonny Chapman. Voting "no" were aldermen Ceola Bailey and Sam Gregory. It takes six out of eight votes to overturn a mayor's veto.

During the special finance meeting held January 21 five out of six members of the Alexander city council voted to stop all non-essential spending until the city's finances are back in order. The decision came after discovering revenue for the fire department has been used to fund other departments. Spending will be limited to payroll, utilities, fuel, or a declaration of an emergency.

To help get the fire department account built up again the same five council members decided to change how the one-cent sales tax, approved by voters in 2003, is distributed. According to the wording on the ballot the tax "shall be distributed" with "3/4% of the revenue for the Police/Fire Department; and 1/4% of the revenue for Parks and Recreation."

In the past the 3/4% was divided evenly between police and fire, 3/8% each. Apparently that practice stopped, giving the fire department 1/8% and the police department 5/8%.

McKeon told council members because the ballot measure did not specify the 3/4% be "evenly divided" between police and fire the council can mandate how to split it between the two departments.

They voted to change the distribution of the 3/4% giving the fire department 5/8% and the police department 1/8%.

Attending the special meeting were aldermen Brad Scott, Andrea Bearden, Faye McKeon, Juanita Wilson, Lonny Chapman and Sam Gregory. Absent from the meeting were Mayor Michelle Hobbs, Recorder Sharon Bankhead and aldermen Ceola Bailey and Farren Wadley.

Alderman Gregory voted against both motions while aldermen Scott, Bearden, McKeon, Wilson and Chapman voted "yes."

The fire department also receives a whole one-cent sales tax from a ballot measure approved in 2005.

In other action;

The council delayed voting on the 2014 City Council Organization Manual until the February meeting, giving Mayor Hobbs and Alderman McKeon more time to review it. The council voted to continue using the 2012 manual.

The council also voted to allow aldermen access to city hall. However, Mayor Hobbs is limiting their access to the copier and their mail boxes.

Alexander ends non-essential spending until further notice

Council redistributes sales tax revenue

(CORRECTION: The sales tax is divided in 1/8% increments, not 1/6%.)
Five out of six members of the Alexander city council voted to stop all non-essential spending until the city's finances are back in order. The decision came after discovering revenue for the fire department has been used to fund other departments. Spending will be limited to payroll, utilities, fuel, or a declaration of an emergency.

The lone dissenting vote came from Alderman Sam Gregory. During the discussion of the spending freeze Gregory said it could become "a big problem."

The action occurred during a special financial meeting held Tuesday evening, January 21, 2014 at city hall. Absent from the meeting were Mayor Michelle Hobbs, Recorder Sharon Bankhead and aldermen Ceola Bailey and Farren Wadley. Acting as mayor was Alderman Brad Scott and filling in as recorder was Alderman Andrea Bearden.

According to information provided by Alderman Faye McKeon, this past December alone the fire department spent over $54,000 but it wasn't all fire department expenses. McKeon said the revenue is accounted for, just in the wrong accounts.

Also, at the end of 2013 the fire department fund was $6,000 over budget. Bearden says it appears some of the fire department revenue is in the general and police funds.

"You cannot spend fire department money for the police or park," McKeon said.

The police, fire and parks departments receive sales tax revenue designated for those three departments.

To help get the fire department account built up again the council also decided to change how the one-cent sales tax, approved by voters in 2003, is distributed. According to the wording on the ballot the tax "shall be distributed" with "3/4% of the revenue for the Police/Fire Department; and 1/4% of the revenue for Parks and Recreation."

In the past the 3/4% was divided evenly between police and fire, 3/8% each. Apparently that practice stopped, giving the fire department 1/8% and the police department 5/8%.

McKeon told council members because the ballot measure did not specify the 3/4% be "evenly divided" between police and fire the council can mandate how to split it between the two departments.

In another five to one vote the council approved changing the distribution of the 3/4% giving the fire department 5/8% and the police department 1/8%. Gregory also voted against this action.

The fire department also receives a whole one-cent sales tax from a ballot measure approved in 2005.

The next regular council meeting will be held Monday, January 27, 2014; 6PM at city hall. The regular meeting was moved due the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Will Alexander survive?

COMMENTARY

By Brad Sutton

NOTICE VOTERS! If Alexander is to survive as a viable entity in the state of Arkansas, we MUST get out of the cross hairs of those who are intent on the alternative.

The pending court actions are horrendous as well as numerous! They come from the Johnson administration, including her appointments, and the current administration. They all like to blame the Mitchell administration, which means they refuse to accept responsibility for their actions.

The latest, reported in the paper this past week, stands to completely deplete the city and even affect state coffers if it is won by the litigators.

Maybe it is time to do some comparisons, and consider the direction we are headed.