A resolution adopted Friday afternoon during a special meeting of the Crowley City Council sets a public hearing on the proposed city budget for fiscal year 2020 at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, in the council chambers at 426 N. Ave. F.
That same resolution also sets forth that the proposed budget “is available for public inspection” at city hall from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Copies are available “at a nominal cost.”
The problem is the city’s Revenue and Finance Committee is yet to approve Mayor Tim Monceaux’s budget proposal.
Just minutes after the special meeting of the full council on Friday, committee members met, also in special session, to consider the mayor’s proposal. When all was said and done, Monceaux was essentially sent back to the drawing board ... again.
A proposal had been presented in time for the regular committee meetings held Wednesday, Aug. 7, but members questioned projections in both revenue and expenditures — the latter including 2 percent pay raises for city employees — and asked the mayor to revise it, saying at that time that they wanted a special meeting dedicated only to the budget.
That special meeting got underway at 1:15 p.m. Friday. Committee members present included Chairman Jeff Cavell, Co-chairman Steven Premeaux, Sammy Reggie and Kim Stringfellow. Brad Core was absent. Holdovers from the full council meeting included Clint Cradeur, Lyle Fogleman, Vernon “Step” Martin and Byron Wilridge Sr.
“Historical data shows that the trend (in sales tax collections) seems to be less than projected,” Cavell said in opening the meeting.
Comparing the 11 months of fiscal year 2019 (the city’s fiscal year is from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31 of the following year) shows a decrease of $255,203, or 3.15 percent. The collections for July 2019 compared to July 2018 were down $59,683, or 3.72 percent.
Using those figures Cavell projected a year-ending revenue of about $7.2 million, down from $7.5 million last year.
“We have $8.2 million budgeted in salaries and fringes,” Cavell said.
Monceaux acknowledged the projected shortfall and said the new proposal being presented Friday addressed that.
“First, I want to say that I have retracted my (proposed) raise and I will not accept it,” Monceaux began before offering a pair of options to address a projected overall budget deficit of $250,000.
Both options included an across-the-board 1 percent cut in expenditures for all departments.
“We have $10 million budgeted in expenditures. That’ll save us $100,000 right there,” Monceaux explained.
The two options to go along with the across-the-board cut in expenditures is where everything got confused.
It appears one proposal is to go ahead with the 2 percent raises, but then cut salaries by 3 percent, a move Monceaux said would shave about $150,000 out of the budget.
The second option was to eliminate the proposed pay raise altogether and remain at the 2019 salary rates, which he said would result in a savings of about $165,000.
“I’m trying to avoid having to lay people off,” the mayor explained.
Either way, Monceaux explained, the savings would negate the projected $250,000 shortfall.
Then a couple of monkey wrenches were thrown into the equation.
Fire Chief Jody Viator reminded of a state legislature-mandate that all firefighters with 3 to 23 years of experience “shall” be given a 2 percent raise annually.
Police Chief Jimmy Broussard added that, under state Civil Service regulations, salaries of police officers cannot be reduced.
Monceaux confessed that he had not taken those two mandates into account.
From there, discussion continued for about 45 minutes, sometimes becoming heated.
“I have 17 people who make under $20,000 a year and I’m not going to go out there and tell them they’re going to have to take a cut in pay,” said Cradeur, chairman of the city’s Public Works Committee, which includes the city Recreation Department. “There’s no way in hell I’m going to do that.”
“If we cut those guys 3 percent, we’re not going to have anyone in Rec,” agreed Premeaux.
Fogleman went so far as to recommend a 3 to 5 percent raise for Public Works employees, noting that “it is those people who are out on the street doing the work. They’re the faces of Crowley.”
Monceaux suggested that the council come up with ways to increase revenue instead of cutting expenditures.
“There are license and business fees out there that haven’t been touched for 25 or 30 years,” he said. “There’s rental inspections … any number of ways we can increase our revenues. It’s not just about cutting expenditures, but increasing revenues.”
Premeaux pointed out that the council has a more immediate problem — adopting a balanced budget before Sept. 1.
“We can address all those things down the road, but right now we need to adopt a budget,” he said.
But audience member Tracy Young took offense to Premeaux’s statements.
“It’s not an income problem, it’s a spending problem,” Young told the council. “And you need to stop kicking the can down the road. Enough is enough.”
Alderman Martin also addressed Premeaux. “We do not have to adopt a budget,” he said. “I want to see everything correct on paper and until I get clarification, I’m going to vote no.”
Martin said he would be willing to not only see the city take a hit from auditors if the budget is not adopted by Sept. 1, but he would be willing to operate at the state-mandated 50 percent of last year’s budget until such time as a balanced budget is approved.
It was Premeaux who suggested that Monceaux compile another proposal and submit it to the committee in the coming days.
Monceaux agreed.