Better late than never…

Better late than never…

West Memphis council passes 2016 budget

news@theeveningtimes.com

It’s official. It’s final. It’s legitimate. With three seasons of the year about finished, West Memphis approved the 2016 budget.

Last fall as the City Treasurer Frank Martin juggled budget hearings, year end bonuses, annual raises for city workers, and formulating a new bi-weekly payroll, putting the budget into the form of an official resolution slipped through the cracks.

City Council did approve the operating budget earlier this year. The measure was introduced to the floor through a budget committee report and recommendation. But that was not good enough for auditors insisting the budget had to be accepted in the form of an ordinance. The legislative audit wrote up West Memphis for departing from the prescribed procedure. At the last City Council meeting of September, the budget was finally presented as an ordinance and Councilors voted unanimously, reaffirming their budget vote earlier in the year.

The ‘i’s’ dotted and the ‘t’s’ crossed, Mayor Bill Johnson explained the need to get the budget done right at the City Council meeting.

“We presented a budget last year in December, in a timely fashion before the first of the year just like we’re supposed to,” said Johnson. “We submitted it to the budget committee and the budget committee reviewed it, and brought it to the City Council in the form of a report, but the legislative audit wants it in the form of a resolution.

They won’t take the fact that we brought it the floor through budget committee.”

For his part, Martin said he knew better and was forthright with City Council.

I should have thought about it,” said Martin. “It is my fault.”

“It’s just something we overlooked,” said City Councilman and budget committee chairman Tray Catt.

“This doesn’t change anything in the budget,” said Johnson. “It just complies with their rules and regulations.”

Council passed the 2016 budget resolution and numbered

it 2111.

By John Rech