WSS approves 2020/2021 budget

WEST SILOAM SPRINGS, Okla., — The West Siloam Springs town board approved its annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year during their meeting on Monday.

The town’s board of trustees and municipal authority voted for Mayor Elaine Carr and Vice Mayor Rhonda Wise to approve the budget for the new fiscal year, which takes effect July 1. The town’s budget will have approximately $2.8 million in expenditures, according to Kris Kirk CPA, the town’s accountant.

Kirk said the town presently has a carryover of $80,000 in the general fund and $411,472 in the municipal authority, according to a copy of West Siloam Springs’ budget for the next fiscal year. The town is expecting a revenue of $959,000, Kirk said. The total comes from fine collection and sales tax revenue, Kirk said. The CPA listed the town’s debts at $73,306.

The biggest budget items for the upcoming year will be granting a four percent increase for town employees during their annual review and that will cost the city $27,000 for all of the employees; the purchase of three new police cars for $50,000 a vehicle; and transferring the salary of Court Clerk Leslie Colantuono back to the general fund for $15,000.

Colantuono was receiving half of her salary from the water department and half from the general fund. The total expenditures will leave the general fund with an ending carryover of $8,245 and the municipal authority with a balance of $108,486

The budget proposal will move 100 percent of her salary to the general fund. The town has not yet set dates as to when they will accomplish the budget goals. When the town feels they have the necessary funds to act they will bring it before the board for a vote, Kirk said.

“Just because we budget it and put it in there, we know what the temperature of our budget is going to be when we make these decisions down the road,” said Board Trustee Marty Thompson.

Other business discussed and voted on by the board of trustees and municipal authority included:

• Approving the May 2020

financial reports.

• Approving rezoning a

portion of the Lewis Property located at 397 Tillery Lane from residential to commercial.

• Approving the 2019

combined amendments of the water purchase contract with the Southern Delaware County Regional Water Authority (SDCRWA).

• Tabling the resolution to

conduct random drug tests on town employees.

• Approving handing out

the employee handbook to all employees to look over and revise. Revisions are due back in 30 days so the revisions can be looked at.

• Approving donating

the town’s cotton candy machine to Mosley Public Schools in Colcord, Okla.

• Approving taking no action on closing the town’s Cox Communications account.

• Hearing reports from

town officials Police Chief Larry Barnett; Code Enforcement Waylon Chandler; Carr; Wise; Town Clerk/Treasurer Carolyn Butts; Town Attorney Jot

Hartley.

• Approving Rhonda Wise

to temporarily assume the office of Assistant Town Clerk.

• Denying the motion to

remove Butts from the bank

record for authorization to

sign checks.

• Voting to renew the contracts of Hartley; Kirk;

and Judge Rex Earl Starr for another year.

• Tabling the discussion

on approving the renewal contract for Robert St. Pierre, CPA, PC to handle the yearly audits of West Siloam Springs.

• Voting to retain Charly

Orman and Colleen McGuire.