Vote to approve changes to Alexander’s 2016 budget fails

In a five to three vote the Alexander city council failed to approve changes to the city’s current budget. City Treasurer Kenneth Miller explained the proposed changes that would have brought the budget up-to-date.

Miller said changes included a banking error that deposited $854 into the wrong account. Instead of depositing the money into the street fund the bank put it into the park and recreation fund. He said he had to write a check from the park fund and have it deposited into the street fund.

Since the 2016 budget started as a copy of the 2015 budget Miller said changes had to be made removing line items from the 2015 version that aren’t needed and adding line items that were created this year. Some of those new line items include amendments to the budget approved by the council since January.

Alderwoman Andrea Bearden asked if a comparison between what was budgeted and what has been spent could be included. Miller said he would work on that.

Another item brought up by Bearden was the health insurance costs. She said she couldn’t find it in the budget. Eventually, it was located under “Benefits” in each of the funds.

Voting “Yes” to approve the amended 2016 budget were Melissa Ratliff, Stephanie Beck and Lonny Chapman. Voting “No” were Bearden, Louis Hobbs and Andy Mullins. Aldermen Farren Wadley and Dan Church were absent so they are counted as “No” votes.

In other business at the October 17 meeting;

Alexander city council members were presented with a preliminary plan to move some of the storage buildings at My Ample Storage from the front of the property to the back. Engineer Jacob White said the widening of Highway 5, between Alexander and Bryant, requires moving the front wall and some storage units away from the highway. A parking area will also be included in the renovation.

Council members will be revisiting the building permit ordinance passed last month. Alderwoman Andrea Bearden was not present at the September meeting but while reading the minutes from the meeting she noticed there was not a vote to suspend the required three readings. That means the ordinance is not in effect. An ordinance must be read three times at three different meetings before a vote to approve is made.

And speaking of going into effect, when reading the ordinance she noticed it says it will go into effect in 2026 instead of 2016. Mayor Paul Mitchell said that will be corrected.

Bearden also asked Mitchell if he realized the square-foot rate for building permits was reduced from the old rate of 25-cents per square foot to 8-cents. Mitchell said City Attorney Pat Marshall researched rates and this change puts Alexander more in line with Benton and Bryant.

Mayor Mitchell did not receive a motion to appropriate $25,000 for the purchase of a digital sign for the front of city hall. Even though he is still getting bids Mitchell was asking for the appropriation so he is able to make the purchase once receiving three bids. He currently has one.

The digital sign will replace the wooden one in front of the City of Alexander Municipal Complex. Mitchell said because the fire and police departments will be able to use it to post messages along with general city use, he expects to fund the purchase from the general, police and fire department funds.

Alderwoman Andrea Bearden said she wants to see where the city is on “spending” before buying a sign.

The next meeting of the Alexander city council is Monday, November 21. The meeting will be held at 6 PM in the courtroom at the City of Alexander Municipal Complex. The public is invited to attend.