Cave Springs eliminates two city jobs

City Council cuts planning director, vice mayor posts

CAVE SPRINGS — The City Council eliminated two administrative positions to save money, but the mayor said Tuesday the cuts will create larger problems.

“They are making the decisions they think are best for Cave Springs,” Mayor Travis Lee said of the council. “I differ on that because they don’t know what goes on every day and who does what.”

The council voted 5-0 Monday night to eliminate the planning director and vice mayor positions. Craig Southern was the planning director and Charlie Holyfield served as vice mayor. The council also voted to sell the police-equipped Dodge Charger it bought last year to be used by the mayor and other city administrators.

Lee said he will not veto the cuts.

“I am going to let them own this,” Lee said.

Alderman Larry Fletcher said the council has made $298,000 in cuts, just shy of the $300,000 needed to stabilize city finances, which he said have been steadily depleted and were in further trouble after the council didn’t pass a millage resolution for 2017. The millage resolution submitted to Benton County Clerk Tena O’Brien was a copy of the resolution passed for 2016. The city has received $12,000 in millage so far this year, but that money has been put in an escrow account in case the county asks it be returned. The council voted to create the account after being advised to do so by city attorney Justin Eichmann.

Other budget cuts also included reducing money for Community Building repairs. Last year the City Council voted to spend $75,000 to repair the 81-year-old building. That amount was cut to $35,000 Monday night. Fletcher and Alderwoman

Mary Ann Winters said the $35,000 will be used to get the building repaired to where it may be used again for city meetings and events. Winters said the city will try to spend more money next year to complete repairs recommended by Gary Clements, an architect who runs the North Little Rock-based Clements & Associates.

Fletcher said he didn’t want to eliminate positions, but cuts were necessary to stop spending money the city didn’t have. He recently said the city has between $125,000 and $130,000 in its general fund. Council members decided during a May work session to eliminate both positions.

Winters said neither of the eliminated positions was essential to city administration and she stands by the cuts.

“We’re in a financial crisis. We are spending more money than we are receiving, and in any business you cannot operate that way,” Winters said Tuesday. “You will go bankrupt and we don’t want to go bankrupt. We are taking drastic measures to correct the overspending that has been done.”

Lee said the city is rapidly growing with new subdivisions and a planning director is necessary. Winters said the Planning Commission will oversee planning matters as it did before Southern was hired. Fletcher said Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning will help when the city has questions. Lee believes that’s not enough to fill the vacuum.

“Craig also made sure everyone paid their dues and fees for permits and zoning applications. Now we don’t have anyone to monitor that because we don’t have anyone assigned to that,” Lee said. “Regional Planning doesn’t have the time and resources to do that. They can’t write ordinances for us. I don’t know who’s going to do these things.”

The city purchased the used Dodge Charger for $18,000 and Fletcher said it can be sold for $12,000.

Winters said selling it is necessary because Lee frequently used it for personal means and ran up expenses. Lee said he never drove the vehicle for personal use and Winters’ accusation is more of the rumors and gossip spread against him.

The council will meet next month to reconcile the budget, Winters said. A specific date for the meeting hasn’t been set.

“We’re in a financial crisis. We are spending more money than we are receiving, and in any business you cannot operate that way.”

— Mary Ann Winters, alderwoman