Bessie's COW report for February

Tuesday night’s meeting began with discussion about both a financial recovery plan and financial planning, including the city’s prospects for hiring a budget analyst to assist with all things financial. Mayor Williams said he’d met with Software Solutions, Inc., and once he gets their proposal, more will be known about the capabilities of their financial tracking software. Depending on what those are, he may favor applying the funding for the part time budget analyst position to any additional costs that may be incurred with the new software. Both Mr. Moore and Mr. Sanker strongly advocated hiring a budget analyst because of the long term benefits to the city.

Regarding a levy for the August ballot, Mr. Moore’s feeling, at this point, is a full 8-mill renewal won’t be necessary for daily operations, although more financial information is needed to accurately assess the city’s needs. As proof of some of the cost reductions put in place, he quickly ticked off 7 positions that have either been eliminated or not replaced during the last 5-6 years. And speaking of reduced costs, the city, specifically Mr. Geers, won a $93,000 reduction in insurance costs by playing hardball with the carrier! Add that to the $50,000 saved on Worker’s Comp. premiums reported in “Ward One Update,” and we’re talking a nice tidy sum.

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