Much has been written about the city of Blytheville's financial struggles, both past and present.
But there is one key difference this year, something that gives one reason to be at least a little optimistic.
Previously, the Finance and Purchasing Committee met sporadically, usually only during budget time and maybe a handful of times throughout the year.
At the beginning of the year, the Finance Committee would vow to meet on a regular basis, but never did.
That is until this year.
Freshman City Councilman Tommy Abbott took over the committee in January, and his board has met monthly, sometimes even multiple times a month.
Along with fellow first-year City Councilman Kevin Snow, also an active member of the Finance Committee, Abbott attends most every City Council committee meeting and distributes reports showing where those respective departments stand each month, comparing figures with where they should be at a given point in the year.
I'm sure it is rather time-consuming, but he breaks down the numbers, noting in red which lines are over budget or on pace to be higher than budgeted.
The Finance Committee led the charge to freeze spending of the parks and recreation CD, which has gone from around $1.1 million to about $561,000.
Most likely, in years past, no one would have realized the funds were depleting until they were gone.
The Finance Committee also required items meeting a certain monetary threshold to go before the committee.
Again, in previous years, that equipment would have gone straight to the City Council, often times labeled an "emergency" that showed up on the table without previous discussion.
I bet members of the 2011 and 2012 City Council don't realize the city spent $841,166 on vehicles those two years. Frankly, I didn't, until a recent Arkansas Freedom of Information Act request.
Add in the $945,546 approved this year for the four needed garbage trucks and two trash trucks and the city has spent about $1,786,712 on vehicles the last 2 1/2 years.
According to city records, in 2011 the Police Department purchased five units from Landers Chrysler Dodge for a total of $133,987.
An email from Waterworks General Manager Gary Phillips shows his department purchased two Ford F-150s from Carlock Ford for $18,900 each in 2011.
Also, according to records, in 2012, the city bought a new Ford F-150 from Carlock Ford for the City Parks and Pools mowing crew ($18,900); a new Ford F-150 for Thunder Bayou Golf Links from Carlock ($18,900); a new Ford F-150 for the Parks and Recreation Department director from Carlock ($18,900); a Ford Super Duty F-250 from Carlock for the Street Department ($18,386); a Pierce pumper truck for the Fire Department ($364,640); police cars from Landers Chrysler Dodge ($133,924); three F-150s for the Water Department from Carlock ($18,500, $18,800, $19,029); and two Ford F-250s from Carlock for the Water Department ($19,700 each).
In total, the Water Department purchased seven trucks in 2011 and 2012; the Police Department bought 10 vehicles; and departments under the umbrella of parks and recreation purchased three trucks. The Street Department bought one truck and the Fire Department purchased the pumper truck, according to information provided by the city.
That's not to say some of those vehicles weren't needed -- undoubtedly the police cars and fire truck were necessary, along with others, I'm sure. Some of the vehicles were purchase with tax funds dedicated for the specific departments.
But, the point is now there is actually a board looking at those types of expenditures to determine, not only if they are needed, but more importantly if the money is there to pay for them.
Imagine if the Finance Committee hadn't required the departments to cut their proposed budgets by 7 percent in January (some did a better job than others), considering revenues haven't met original projections.
The city finances would really be in a mess. If the Finance Committee continues the work it started in 2013, I believe this time next year the city will indeed be in the best financial shape it has been in, in years.
I'm cautiously optimistic, anyway.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com