WHOSE BUDET IS IT?
Every Resident in East point should be asking, WHOSE BUDGET IS IT? Is it the CITY MANAGER’S BUDGET or MAYOR & COUNCIL’S? The City Manager is responsible for preparing a BUDGET PROPOSAL outlining the COST of all the City’s services provided to Residents and Businessess. The COST of these “SERVICES” INCLUDE Labor: Costs & Benefits; Equipment and Transportation: Police, Fire, Sanitation, Public Works, Electric Utility, Water & Sewer, Customer Care, 911, Parks & Recreation, Communications; Fleet Maintenance; Physical Facilities and Insurance: City Hall, Fire & Police Stations, City Annex, City Auditorium, Jefferson Park Recreation Bldgs., Historic House, All the Parks; Streets & Sidewalks; and other financial obligations that are not confined to any Department. So, you can see how daunting this can be, however COMPETENT management of the City’s financial resources, personnel, and Departments make it possible to accomplish. Therefore, the City Manager is the first owner of the Proposed FY27 Budget. Once the City Manager passes the Proposed FY27 Budget to Mayor & Council, he relinquishes all control of the Proposed FY27 Budget.
Now, the Proposed FY27 Budget belongs to the Mayor & Council and the Residents of East Point. Mayor & Council are responsible for PROVIDING the City Manager with the funding needed to cover the cost of providing the ” SERVICES” they deem absolutely necessary for the health and well-being of the Residents and the City. Residents should be given “OPPORTUNITIES” to express their desires and wishes concerning all “EXPENDITURES” and to include new “PROGRAMS” that are within legal boundaries. Once, Mayor & Council have heard from the Residents, they have the responsibility of combining the “NEEDS” of the City Manager with the “Desires” of the Residents. Legitimate “NEEDS” should always come before “DESIRES”. So, before “ADDING” to “EXPENDITURES”, “CUTTING UNNECESSARY STAFF” and “WASTE” should be done “FIRST”.
CUTTING UNNECESSARY STAFF AND WASTE
Now that we know WHOSE BUDGET IT IS, the Mayor & Council “MUST” take “CONTROL”. The Mayor & Council are responsible for providing “FUNDING” for NECESSARY STAFF on every level throughout the City and “CUTING WASTE”. Let’s begin with the City Manager’s Office & Staff. Mayor & Council need to VOTE to defund and abolish the following positions because they were not created by Mayor & Council and serve no purposes that cannot be addressed by the City Manager, the Executive Assistant, and his Department Heads (a) Assistant City Manager (b) Management analyst and (c) D.E.I. agency and staff. Mayor & Council need to VOTE to hire “NEEDED and NECESSARY STAFF” for the FINANCE DEPARTMENT “ASAP”: (a) Full-time Finance Director (b) Budget analyst, and (c) Internal Auditor.
Mayor & Council need to defund payments made to Atty L’Erin Wiggins/her Law Firm immediately. Mayor & Council are in total violation of paying her/law firm any money let alone $20,000 a month. This “WASTE” needs to be “CUT”. Mayor & Council need to “HIRE an EXTERNAL AUDITOR” immediately.
Mayor & Council need to refuse all salary increases until all funding that is “NEEDED” to “MAINTAIN and OPERATE” the City has been “IDENTIFIED”. Hence, Mayor & Council need to VOTE to deny the City Manager’s request for a $7,000 car allowance increase. In fact, Mayor & Council need to identify how many Non-Public Safety Employees use City Cars for their transportation as well as the number of Police Officers and Firemen. Mayor & Council should determine how to pay for twenty-three Police cars ordered but not paid for due to the City’s Audit violations. This needs to be addressed in this Budget.
Mayor and Council need to CUT the unlawful ALLOCATION of EXPENDITURES for “EVENTS” and the “Maintenance of the HISTORIC HOUSE”. In fact, the East Point History Society should be paying “MARKET RATE RENT” for the use of the Historic House and Property. The East Point Historical Society does not provide the City with any meaningful “SERVICES”. Where is the HISTORIAN? Where are the artifacts? There is no mention of the street, “White Way” hosting a business that catered to the “KKK”. It is time for the City to provide better use of that property or sell it.
EAST POINT CITY COUNCIL BUDGET & THE MAYOR & COUNCIL MEMBERS BUDGET
The State sets the time for which Mayor & Council can VOTE for a salary increase. This is not the time. Mayor & Council set the amount of the Mayor & Council Members salary by “ORDINANCE”. Below are some suggestions and guidelines for the “COUNCIL BUDGET” and MAYOR & COUNCIL MEMBERS BUDGET.
COUNCIL BUDGET EXPENDITURES
1) COUNCIL MEETINGS: STAFF, SUPPLIES and EQUIPMENT are provided by the CITY CLERK’S OFFICE. (ASK CITY CLERK FOR A BUDGET.) The City Clerk’s Office provides STAFF for Council Meetings, Budget/Finance Committee Meetings, Authority/ Board/Commission Meetings, Task Force Meetings, and Committees composed solely of Residents. Overtime pay should be included in the City Clerk’s Office Budget for the COUNCIL.
2) COUNCIL PROFESSIONAL DUES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The City Charter requires the City to belong to Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) and the National League of Cities (NLC) and for all Elected Officials and certain Employees to use their MEMBERSHIPS in both ORGANIZATIONS for “EDUCATIONAL TRAINING” by attending “Conferences, Seminars and Workshops” at the “EXPENSE of the CITY”. This “EXPENSE” covers TRANSPORTATION, LODGINGS, DAILY PER DIEM and REGISTRATION for Conferences/Seminars/Workshops. All “RECEIPTS” must be turned into the City Clerk Office for “REIMBURSEMENT” INCLUDING those paid with a “CITY CREDIT CARD”.
3) OTHER COUNCIL PROFESSIONAL DUES: South Fulton Municipal Association; Representation for MEAG Annual Conference, and the GMA Committee Meeting.
4) COUNCIL TOWNHALL MEETINGS: Every fifth Monday, Mayor & Council would hold a Townhall Meeting hosted by each Ward to provide updates on current policies and to seek Residents input on future policies. Residents would be reminded of the Meeting a week in advance by ROBO CALLS from the hosting Ward. Each Ward would host one of the four Meetings. (COST: $1,000 for each ROBO CALL totalling $4,000)
5) NO WORKERS COMPENSATION IS PAID FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
COUNCIL MEMBERS BUDGET EXPENDITURES
THE CITY MUST:
1) Pay the salary Voted on by Mayor & Council at the appropriate time set by the STATE. $16,000, SALARY
2) Pay and provide Mayor and Council Members with all Benefits provided to all EMPLOYEES (Option of Pension/Social Security; and Healthcare). Mayor and any Council Member may take advantage of these ELIGIBLE Employees Benefits at their own cost and not the City’s cost. Elected Officials cannot claim the cost of Employee Healthcare as a Benefit without paying for it out of their personal Council Salary.
3) All TRAVEL and TRAINING costs associated with GMA and NLC. (Based on current air travel costs, gas, and lodging accommodations $10,000 should be sufficient.)
4) All funding allocations specifically identified in Ordinances. (Ordinance identifying the amount to pay for communicating with constituents.) (This Ordinance is based on consumable communications goods such as FLYERS, NEWSLETTERS and ROBO CALLS. Mailing and delivery costs are too high for the number of Residents needing to be contacted. ROBO CALLS are the most economical means of informing Residents of Townhall Meetings, Special Grant Fundings, Parks and Recreation Registration for Parks Programs, Council Meetings and Special Call Meetings; Local Food and Health Programs, and Rental Space. All Residents are eligible to attend any EVENT/MEETING paid for with City Funds. (NO ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS). Suggested amount for the Mayor and Each Council Member $6,000. No money in this account can be transferred to cover any other expenses. (The Mayor and AT-large Council Members’ CONSTITUENTS are ALL the RESIDENTS in the City. Local WARD Council Members’ CONSTITUENTS are ALL the Residents in the Ward. Neighborhood and Community Meetings cannot be notified using ROBO CALLS under this ORDINANCE. However, All Elected Officials are encouraged to attend all Neighborhood and Community Meetings when invited.)
MAYOR’S BUDGET
THE CITY MUST PAY:
1) Salary and eligible Employee Benefits in keeping with City Policies. $20,000 SALARY
2) Executive Assistant’s salary and Benefits in keeping with City Policies. (HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT)
3) Standard Office Supplies and Equipment for a Mayor’s Office. $1.500
4) PROFESSIONAL FEES: MEMBERSHIP in other Mayoral Organizations $2,000.00
5) EDUCATION/TRAVEL to GMA, NLC, and OTHER MEMBERSHIP MAYORAL EVENTS $12,000
6) DEPARTMENT EVENT: The Department Event cannot be an ENTERTAINMENT EVENT AND THE FUNDING MUST BE LIMITED TO THE COST OF FOOD FOR MAYORS OF CITIES IN SOUTH FULTON COUNTY AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM FULTON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WHEN EAST POINT IS HOSTING THE MEETING. $1,500 PER BUDGET YEAR
7) CAR ALLOWANCE: $600.00 PER MONTH
OTHER BUDGETARY CONCERNS
1) There is more than a $700,000 DECREASE in projected Stormwater Fees. WHY?
2) The Budget ‘s Revenue projection from “traveling violations in a school zone is $15,000” in the Police Department and the State tracked more than $700,000. WHY?
3) No data on the total amount of Revenue from the Water Leak Service Fee or the amount paid to an unknown INSURER with a City Agreement/Contract. WHY?
4) As a precaution, Mayor & Council need to REVIEW all ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEES’ CONTRACTS.
5) Mayor & Council need to REVIEW the HEALTHCARE COST for EMPLOYEES and RETIREES. Monthly stipends maybe needed to help offset the cost to EMPLOYEES where there is a shortage due to BENEFITS PACKAGE.
6) What is the total amount of money in the MCT ELECTRIC UTILITY RESERVE ACCOUNT?
7) Provide the financial data showing any projected DEFICIT.
