Council wants to review budget

GARFIELD — Several attempts by the City Council to call a special meeting to review the city’s budget were waylaid. The latest impediment is a notice of veto issued by Mayor Gary Blackburn late Monday night.

Twice in the regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 13, aldermen discussed calling a special meeting — once to consider attorneys to hire, the other for financial matters.

“There’s a procedure for calling a special meeting, go by your own rules,” Blackburn said.

After discussion, it was agreed to consider attorneys and appoint one in January.

Last month, alderman Katherine Shook emailed fellow council members and the press asking for a consensus to meet prior to the December meeting. She said she spoke to Blackburn on Dec. 2 telling him the council members had agreed to meet Tuesday, Dec. 6. Shook said she was notified on Dec. 5 by the mayor that he would not attend the meeting.

“Our primary job is to manage and control finances,” Shook said. “I’d like to arrange a special meeting where we’ll all be here so we can review and finish before the end of the year.”

Blackburn presented a city budget. Shook raised questions. Blackburn said he has “to have it in writing and have it for all aldermen to review” before he could consider Shook’s concerns. Shook copied her notes, giving a copy to Blackburn and each alderman.

“On Nov. 30 every one of you was given a copy of 2017 proposed budget,” Blackburn said. “I’ve had no response until tonight … I’ve been here 12-and-a-half hours. My mind is not geared to 12-and-a-halfhour days. Now you’re asking me to absorb and make a good decision. Any of you had all this time to submit data.

“I can’t discuss intelligently, difficult for me to do, and make a vote on it,” Blackburn said. “To sit here and go over line item by line item, is exhausting.”

Speaking to Shook, Blackburn said: “If you’re the only one who has looked at this … the lack of preparation on someone else’s part doesn’t constitute an emergency on my part.”

“I know she has worked hard and I have worked hard. I know Dale (Watkins, alderman) has worked hard,” said alderman Leonard Matthew Jr. “It isn’t only you and then we come down to this point here … I think Mrs. Shook was wanting to have a special meeting to go over this. It’s not what you’re wanting to do. It’s us to give a discussion … There’s a problem. The budget has been overspent … we have no say so. This will be my last meeting.

“We’ve got to put a lock on the mayor’s going out and being able to spend $20,000 like that without our permission and the public come back on us,” Matthew continued.

Blackburn told council members they would have to make a motion to waive the special procedures outlined in Ordi- nance 151.

Terry Warren, the newest alderman, said: “It looks to me like we need some extra time to discuss the 2017 budget; does it not make sense to have a special meeting to do that?”

On a motion by Shook, aldermen waived the rules on procedure for calling special meetings; Matthew seconded. All council members voted yes.

Warren asked the mayor if he would be available.

“I will make myself available when you follow your own rules for calling special meeting. They’re your rules, you can’t follow them just when it’s convenient to you,” Blackburn said.

Warren made the motion to call a special meeting to consider the financial questions from two months and discuss the 2017 budget; Shook seconded. The meeting was set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 22.

Susan Morrison, who defeated Watkins in the November election, was in the audience. She said: “I object to spending city money for a special meeting.”

“It’s less than the cost of that tractor,” Matthew said, referring to a tractor purchased by Blackburn earlier in 2016.

The motion passed unanimously.