Barring something miraculous, the three new members of the Blytheville City Council will get their feet wet by passing a 2013 budget within a month of being in office.
After being sworn in on Jan. 1, newly-elected Council members R.L. Jones (Ward 3), Tommy Abbott (Ward 1) and Kevin Snow (Ward 2) will be put to work quickly on a budget that must be passed by Feb. 1.
The current City Council Finance Committee isn't expected to start tackling Mayor James Sanders' proposed 2013 budget until next week and, with Christmas and New Year's approaching, it seems unlikely a budget will be in place before the newcomers take office.
Sanders' proposed budget projects revenues of $19,778,019.63 versus proposed expenditures of $19,687,060.07. Projected revenue is up about $2.6 million from the 2012 budget of $17,132,803.00. Meanwhile, proposed expenditures are up about $3.6 million from the 2012 budget of $16,024,533.
The most glaring reason both are up is the delinquent payroll tax issue. The proposed budget anticipates the city spending $2,556,667 on "repayment of back taxes," which is listed under General Administration, and collecting $2,556,666.63 from the temporary 1-cent IRS tax.
But I'm sure the 2013 Council will be able to find expenditures to cut from the largest budget in the city's history.
All six Council members will have their work cut out for them as they navigate under the leadership of whomever Sanders appoints as Finance Committee chairman -- current Finance Committee chairman Monte Hodges will be off the Council after Dec. 31. This will be unchartered waters in a lot of ways, especially for the new Council members.
Other than Jones, who was a part of 16 city of Blytheville budgets until leaving the Council in 2010, the new members will find themselves in the same position as their colleagues were in two years ago -- getting a first-hand look at the municipal budget process and passing a budget in the same month.
Eighteen days into their first year, Council members John Musgraves, Missy Langston and Stan Parks joined now outgoing Council members Shirley Overman (a longtime chairman of the Finance Committee), Hodges and Mylas Jeffers in passing the 2011 budget.
Council members are responsible for the management and control of the city finances and all real and personal property belonging to the city. They are charged with passing an operating budget and making changes they deem necessary from the one submitted by the mayor.
They also decide whether or not to make purchases of $20,000 or more, have the ability to override the mayor's appointment and removal of department heads by two-thirds vote of the total membership and can override the mayor's veto by two-thirds vote, if they so choose.
Some merely wield the sword of influence; Council members are the decision-makers.
The Council holds the purse strings and serves as the legislative body for the city, providing a checks and balances for the mayor.
In my opinion, among the Council's responsibilities is to revisit their authorized budget on a regular basis -- something that hasn't been done in years.
Some years, I believe Council members genuinely intend to have regular budget meetings throughout the year, though it just sort of slips through the cracks.
Revisiting the budget is critical to the city improving its financial situation. Glancing at the numbers occasionally isn't going to cut it. There needs to be a concerted effort of studying the revenue/expenditure figures so Council members can make informed, educated decisions that allow the city to run most efficiently and so they can be prudent with taxpayer dollars.
Hopefully, the 2013 Council will share that view.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com