GRAVETTE -- The main item on the agenda for the Dec. 15 meeting of the Gravette city council was approval of the 2017 city budget. When the matter came up for a vote, however, it failed to pass. The vote was four nays and two ayes, with only Richard Carver and Rod Clardy voting for approval.
Mayor Kurt Maddox commented that the issue would have to be brought back to the table, or a special meeting would be required. He asked council members to be thinking about what they want to do. He said he felt the budget was very conservative and praised city department heads for helping keep the 2016 budget in line and cutting unnecessary expenses.
In other business, council members voted to approve the 2017 holiday schedule and the 2017 schedule of council meetings.
They also voted for a special, short council meeting to approve creating a special bank account for the ladder truck grant. The account had been approved at a special meeting Dec. 8 but signatories were not discussed. Arvest Bank requires that signatories for the account be included in meeting minutes. The minutes now reflect that mayor Maddox and city clerk Mike von Ree are signatories.
Melissa Smith, who was not present at the last meeting, said she would like to comment on the position of city business director since she did not attend when it was discussed. She said she felt the position was needed and that there would be an increase in other costs if the job was eliminated. Councilman Carver said he agreed.
Some discussion was given to making the job a part-time position, but mayor Maddox said he felt there was too much work to be done by a part-time employee. He commented that this employee had performed the duties of an administrative assistant. He had served as a go-between with the city and the engineers on the upcoming Main Street renovation project and had attended meetings when Maddox was unable to attend.
Mayor Maddox said there was a matter he needed to bring to the public's attention. He read a statement saying that council member Ron Theis had not turned in statements of financial interest for 2013 and 2014. A statement for 2015 was submitted but was on the wrong form and seemed to have information omitted. He said Theis would have 30 days to get updated statements, on the proper forms, to financial director Carl Rabey. Failure to comply could result in a $2,000 fine or sentence of one year in jail.
Theis replied that he had used the form he was given at city hall and no information had been left out. He said he would take care of the matter.
Councilwoman Melissa Burnett asked mayor Maddox if city department heads were cut off from ordering supplies, even if there was still money left in their 2016 accounts.
"Certainly not," Maddox replied, "but needs are different from wants."
He said if any department head came to him with a valid need, he would certainly approve the expenditure. But he saw no need to try to drain accounts at the end of the year as some tried to do, he said.
General News on 12/21/2016