![[Shelbyville Times-Gazette]](http://www.t-g.com/images/nameplate-small.png){kind=small}
RSS
Print
Email link
Respond to editor
Read comments (10)No comments were made in the public hearing for the budget before the special called meeting to approve it.
But when the motion to pass the budget came before the council, councilman Al Stephenson proposed an amendment keeping employee pay raises at three percent across the board.
At issue were raises of $1,000 for three fire officials and a raise of $6,000 for city treasurer Gary Cantrell. Stephenson said that the three percent raises should be sufficient.
City manager Ed Craig explained that the three fire officials in question had recently been promoted and that Cantrell's pay was below standards for his experience and qualifications and was "grossly out of line."
Craig added that Cantrell had managed to balance Shelbyville's books after taking over the city treasurer job. That had never been done before, Craig said.
The motion was changed to allow Cantrell a $1,000 raise and to give $1,000 raises to the three fire officials on top of the 3 percent across-the-board pay hike.
Stephenson and Lee Roy Cunningham voted "no" on the budget while Randy Vernon, Kay Rose, Jo Ann Holland and Fred Harrison voted yes. The deficit for the 2008-09 budget is $566,220, Craig said.
Mayor Wallace Cartwright said at the end of the meeting that budgets can be changed at any time.
"The Recreation center will be paid off in May of 2009. That money can be used to help offset the deficit."
this would be factually incorrect.
1) this council can only budget for the current year. without even looking at the budget, i can still say for certain that there can be no legal provision in this year's budget that another (as yet unelected)council, in a future year, will use any specific money to correct a deficit in this year's budget.
2) if the debt is paid off in may of 2009, then that expense will first be eliminated in may of 2010. almost two years from now.
3) the city will not receive ANY money. there will only be a reduction in an expense.
4) if nothing else changes, the reduction in expense would only be enough to make that budget, two years from now, in balance. to make any reduction in the deficit will still require either additional revenues, or lower expenses.
5) if the city is unable to make corrections during the year, and that deficit does occur, the interest income from that money will no longer be in the budget to offset the requirement for additional revenues from the taxpayers.
actually, that statement is more an indulgence in fantasy, than merely factually incorrect.
The Recreation center will be paid off in May of 2009. That money can be used to help offset the deficit.
Thats great, Good job city councilmen! At least you care. How about getting on these county guys and show them how it's done you don't cut what you have to have and you take care of the people that take care of you. I only wish we had a metro government and you guys and ladies were in charge the politics in the county leave something to be desired. I do want the city to take a look at what the county is doing and try and help if they would even take it. If you think about it what the county does will effect the city also if they do not fund an ambulance response times are going to increase to the county and guess what that means there is no ambulance in the city this is where it is different than police and fire you have help if you need it from more than one agency. You have one ambulance service and no back up so what does that mean the citizens of the city pay county and city taxes and may not be able to have the vital service of an ambulance in their time of need so they pay twice and get the same service as in the county. So when you need them they may not be there in a timely manner due to budget decisions in the county.
Thats great, Good job city councilmen! At least you care. How about getting on these county guys and show them how it's done you don't cut what you have to have and you take care of the people that take care of you. I only wish we had a metro government and you guys and ladies were in charge the politics in the county leave something to be desired. I do want the city to take a look at what the county is doing and try and help if they would even take it. If you think about it what the county does will effect the city also if they do not fund an ambulance response times are going to increase to the county and guess what that means there is no ambulance in the city this is where it is different than police and fire you have help if you need it from more than one agency. You have one ambulance service and no back up so what does that mean the citizens of the city pay county and city taxes and may not be able to have the vital service of an ambulance in their time of need so they pay twice and get the same service as in the county. So when you need them they may not be there in a timely manner due to budget decisions in the county.
I'm glad that the city employees got the raises they deserved and noone lost their jobs. It is a known fact that 90 to 95 percent of policeman, fireman and EMT's have second jobs to support their familes and how the county can even consider cutting jobs is beyond me. These men and women who do these jobs do not do it for the pay because the pay base is low compared to other counties, they do it because they want to serve the community and save lives. So how our county commisoners could even consider lowering the budget in those areas and do away with jobs is really to me unethical. These men and women cannot survive on the changes that would have to take place if this budget passes, therefore the county would lose all of their dedicated employees
and what would you replace them with???? Temporaries at a lower cost ????? The service and dedication of all of these men and women who serve this community is one of honor in my book.
If we could impeach county commisioners I know of at least two that would go today because they have no regard for the service and dedication these people give to their community and being underpaid by other counties standards. I hope they can rest well at night knowing that so many could be out of jobs and nowhere in this county to go because industry here is moving out or closing down.
The city should be grateful for having a show support that the county cannot seem to muster. Sad.
That is why the city has a low turnover rate. They care about giving them atleast the bare minimum.
The deficit for the 2008-09 budget is $566,220, Craig said. Thats why they getting raises. Remember this needs to be paid back eventually.
well im glad the committee over the city employees give a flip about them. how does the city end up having more money than the county as a whole anyways. i live in the city, i pay city and county taxes. my taxes funded their raises but cant fund the county raises. whats up with that? if i remember correctly my county taxes are higher than the city taxes so that makes me wonder if the pot that all of our county taxes are going into is not someones pocket? maybe we should get "Turko" to get involved and do some detective work?
Nice to see the city giving their people raises to keep them.