Alexander approves ’14 budget

ALEXANDER - After a debate about increasing the number of public-safety employees and giving raises to city workers, City Council members here unanimously passed the proposed 2014 budget on Monday.

The eight council members passed a $1.73 million budget with the stipulation they could make changes when needed. Mayor Michelle Hobbs assured council members at the start of the specially called meeting that the council could amend the budget if a certain line item wasn’t sufficiently funded, saying “it’s not set in stone.”

The passage of the budget resolution came after Hobbs urged the council to consider giving raises to city employees, some of whom haven’t received a pay increase for three years, she said. Hobbs also suggested aldermen allow an increase in the number of police officers and firefighters.

Alderman Andrea Bearden said the city couldn’t afford to raise the number of officers and still get the equipment the Police Department needs.

The city has five officers, including Interim Police Chief Derrick Jackson, who work 12-hour shifts. If an officer goes on vacation or has some sort of emergency, the department has to scramble to find someone to cover the shift, Hobbs said.

“It’s up to those guys to work the shift or get it covered,” she said, adding that it could lead to more overtime, which council members didn’t want.

Alderman Faye McKeon said it wouldn’t take long for the overtime pay to add up to another officer’s salary.

The council discussed a similar matter in the town’s Fire Department, with Hobbs saying the city needed more than the budgeted six employees. The city has 10 firefighters, including Interim Chief Tim Blankenship, but one is on administrative leave.

Alderman Juanita Wilson said the city overspent on Fire Department salaries by nearly $46,000 this year. Hobbs said that the department couldn’t be in the red, adding that none of the city’s departments are.

“If you leave it like it is now, that means we have to get rid of people,” Hobbs said, adding that no firefighter would be cut.

McKeon said while she didn’t know where the money would come from, “it’s a disgrace” to lay off fire fighters. Insurance rates would climb if the department didn’t provide 24-hour fire response, she said.

“You cannot punish the Fire Department because some idiots didn’t change the budget,” said McKeon, who joined the City Council in June.

According to Hobbs, the 2013 budget wasn’t done on time last year, so aldermen approved a temporary budget in January to run the city, taking the numbers from 2012 and rounding them up to the nearest $100.

“If we got to amend [the budget] every month, amend it,” Hobbs said. “And then at the end of the year, we won’t have this problem.”

Arkansas, Pages 7 on 12/31/2013

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