City Council and Finance Committee to meet today

Two El Dorado City Council members are on the agenda to the address the council when they convene for a regular meeting at 5:30 p.m. today in the Council Chamber of City Hall

The Finance Committee will meet just prior to the council meeting at 4 p.m., also in the Council Chamber. Council Member Vance Williamson, chairman of the Finance Committee, said he will discuss possible opportunities to lower rates for bonds that were issued for capital improvement projects for the El Dorado Water Utilities.

Williamson said a representative from Crews and

Associates, a Little Rock investment firm that handles municipal bonds, was scheduled to address the committee and full council about the matter but he will not be able to attend.

Williamson said the visit will be rescheduled.

Also, on the Finance Committee’s agenda is a presentation from local CPA firm Emrich and Scroggins about updating the city’s accounting software system to make it more user-friendly and to provide council members with clearer and cleaner financial reports, Williamson said.

For several years, the city has used Inode accounting software and Williamson

said he learned that about 95 percent of cities across the state have ditched Incode and updated their accounting software.

City department heads — including the police and fire chiefs, director of public works and South Arkansas Regional Airport at Goodwin Field — are also expected to provide reports.

Under new business on the council’s agenda is a proposal by Council Member Paul Choate regarding city streets and a request by Council Member Willie McGhee for the upcoming 2020 U.S. Census.

McGhee has urged city officials to stress to El Dorado residents the importance of participating in the 2020 census.