West Memphis council extends 2018 budget

West Memphis council extends 2018 budget

City will operate under old numbers for first month of new year

By John Rech

news @ theeveningtimes .com West Memphis City Council extended the 2018 into January 2019. Budget hearings were not complete. Most departments presented burgeoning expenses for consideration by city council led by competitive salary considerations and new equipment requests. The budget commission also placed on the agenda consideration of a new mayor’s car and a pay increase for the assistant fire chief position onto the agenda. The car purchase elicited reaction at city council, while the pay raise sent a ripple throughout the fire department.

City Treasurer Frank Martin noted the budget had been submitted on time at the end of November and to the practice in recent years of extending one twelfth of the previous annual budget into the next year to cover payroll while city council buttons up the details for the rest of the year. The move served to satisfy state requirements for municipal budgets and provided pay to city workers to avoid loss of city services.

That left Budget Chairman Tracy Catt to remind city Council representatives to vote for the extension .“Many budget items in your packet will be addressed in two weeks for your consideration, said Catt, “The budget committee requests adding to the agenda a one twelfth of the 2018 budget so we may continue operating in 2019 and get payroll handled and all those good things.”

Next, Mayor Johnson’s wanted to purchase his old city car, a 2004 Crown Victoria. A token purchase price of one dollar was suggested, but city council considered market valuations and opted to sell it to him for $200. That left the incoming mayor without a set of official wheels.

The budget commission recognized the precedent in Johnson’s city vehicle. The police were driving the full sized Fords when Johnson’s car was bought for $22,000. Today the police drive Tahoes and commissioners thought they could land a vehicle, now 14 years later, without police equipment, for just a few thousand more.

“We are asking to waive competitive biding,” said Catt. “We looked on line at the state bidding and the only ones available are police vehicles, really not what he needs to be driving. We need to put out bids so we can get one as soon as possible.”

The meeting moved to the floor where Councilwoman Lorraine Robinson questioned the need for a Chevy Tahoe for the new mayor as Catt brought on official consideration.

“Why does it have to be an expensive Tahoe?”

asked Robinson. “Who made that recommendation?

“I wanted it to be pretty much to stay in line with what the police department is getting,” said incoming Mayor Marco McClendon.

Parts and servicing cost tend to stay lower with a fleet of matching vehicles already in operation.

“Why does it have to be something as expensive as a Tahoe?” Robinson asked again.

“That is what the budget committee thinks it will run about $25,000, and the car we bought fifteen years ago was $22,000,” said Catt.

“Considering the last one, it is not out of the realm of a reasonable price.”

Robinson pressed.

“I want to know why that particular model because when I was online I saw a Tahoe for $41,000,” said Robinson.

Frank Martin assured city council that state bid was under $26,000.

“We will bid it and see what comes back,” said Martin.

With that, council unanimously authorized the new car hunt to begin.

The budget Commission also asked to raise the salary for the Assistant Fire Chief to match that of the Assistant Police Chief. Catt pointed out that it had been a past practice for equivalent pay for the second highest positions at the two city uniformed departments, but the pay got out of whack leaving the fire department on the short end of the stick.

“The assistant fire chief and assistant police chief were on the same pay scale, but somewhere along the way we got out of line and they are not on the same pay scale,” said Catt.

“So, in 2019 we have new personnel coming in and we want to get that squared away and back to where it was. I do not know how it we got off, but we did.”

City council voted for a budget amendment to put the $5,274.26 to raise.

But Catt tipped his hand revealing that mayor elect McClendon had picked a new assistant fire chief. After the meeting McClendon confirmed choices for the top two spots on the Fire Department. He named Dennis Brewer as the incoming chief to fill the void left by retiring Chief Wayne Gately. Brewer previously retired from the WMFD. McClendon gave another nod to Division Chief Dewayne Rose as his assistant fire chief supplanting Jeff Jones.

“It is no secret, everyone involved knows,” said Mc-Clendon after the meeting.

However the news came as a surprise to the rank and file of the fire department and sent a ripple through the department.

Three turned in retirement requests by the end of the work day including Assistant Chief Jones.

Jones served the city with progressive advancement for 23 years.

“My career isn’t over, but merely a new chapter that is about to be written,” said Jones.