LAUREL —
The Laurel City Council approved its budget for the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year Tuesday, but not without significant debate regarding travel funding.
The city has cut approximately $37,500 from next year’s travel budget, and will only pay for mandatory travel for certification or re-certification.
The city has budgeted expenditures and revenues of $14,898,466. No tax increases, raises or layoffs are expected at this time.
Ward 7 Councilman Trey Chinn, the junior member of the council, voiced his displeasure with the budget, stating that the city should consider some “real cuts.”
“We’re going to have to buckle down and make some hard decisions,” Chinn said, noting city employees have not received a raise in several years. “There will be no room for that for years (without cuts).”
Chinn, who voted in opposition of the budget with Ward 1 Councilwoman Willie Evans, asked for a motion to add $3,000 to the travel budget for council members. However, the measure failed.
In voicing his support of cutting travel, Ward 3 Councilman Tony Thaxton called the budget “fragile at best.”
“This is the best that we could come up with,” he said. “It’s what we’ve got to work with. We committed Administration and council members to look at revenues and expenditures, and tighten our belts where we could.
“$35,000 is $35,000,” Thaxton added. “With us having budget problems, it sends a bad signal (for council members to travel).”
Ward 6 Councilman Johnny Magee said it would not hurt the city for council members to take a year off from traveling. However, he was in support of Laurel Mayor Melvin Mack receiving $4,000 to represent the city with the Mississippi Municipal League and other organizations.
“The Mayor is our ambassador,” he said. “Wherever he needs to go, he needs to have the funds to be able to go.”
Local News
Travel at forefront of city’s budget approval
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