11/15/2005 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Council Minutes of 11/15/2005 Mayor O'Grady said he wished to discuss Ordinance 2005-154 before moving from the Legislative portion of the meeting. He wants to impress upon the Council the impact this has upon employees. The city is not permitted to pay out of funds unless those funds exist in those accounts. An example of that would be police overtime. We will not be able to pay the police officers for overtime worked without this transfer ordinance. The questions that he sensed remain from the previous meeting have nothing to do with the content of the transfer ordinance. Everything in the transfer ordinance was discussed at length, and it was his perception that all the questions with regard to the transfers were answered completely and satisfactorily. There are separate questions that remain regarding a possible carry-over and the status of revenue projections versus expenditures. But those questions are not related to the issue of the transfers. He asked that one of the members in the prevailing side move to reconsider the legislation. At this point, a very lengthy discussion ensued. Councilman Ryan said he did not vote against the legislation, but what has happened is it was slowed down. We're six weeks~from the end of the year. If we can hang in there, we're going to have an extra quarter of a million dollars. He considers the budget process to be very important. Mayor O'Grady said that the process was being misunderstood. The city is required by law to put money into accounts and pay its bills. It is not an optional issue for Council as lawmakers-it is their responsibility. Councilman Miller said he had no problem with the fact that police officers have earned overtime. The issue he is concerned about is Council does not get adequate information to make the decisions and do the job that they have to do in the form of an overview of the city's health financially. And that is in regards particularly to the issue of the carry-over. He has asked repeatedly, and he gets evasive answers that are not acceptable to him as a person who has a job to do. He does not feel that he can continue to go forward on financial issues with half the information. When he gets the information he asked for in a summary method, giving a range and giving the health of the city financially, then he will reconsider. As indicated by Mr. Ryan, the vote is not a no on the legislation, it simply slows it down. He stands ready to convene a special Council meeting to reconsider when he receives the information he has asked for for nearly eight years. Mayor O'Grady said he does not have a problem with Council asking for acarry-over or revenue and expenditure projections. He does have a problem with using those questions as justifications for not passing this transfer ordinance. Those questions are unrelated to the question of transfer ordinances so that the city government can continue to operate. We are within the budget completely. There is nothing changing about the budget due to this transfer ordinance. What it simply does is take money that's already appropriated by City Council and moves it from a line item where there's an excess to a line item where there is a need. Councilman Miller said knowing those numbers and the city's general financial health is part of the job. And it relates directly to this ordinance. Councilman Gareau asked the Mayor when Council could expect the answers to the questions asked by Mr. Miller and other Council members. He is particularly concerned as he knows the temporary appropriations will have to be passed before the end of the year. Councilman Barker suggested that it would be helpful to Council if a monthly summary sheet could be developed through a meeting of the Finance Director, Mayor and Finance Committee chairperson. This would provide Council with up-to-date information in an easily understood form. Councilman Gareau commented that Council knows it is their responsibility to appropriate the dollars. But a 17