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City won't get out of mud by spinning its wheels
Published Sunday, July 26, 2009
The City of Natchez is stuck in fiscal mud. But the half a dozen or so people elected to drive the city appear more worried about keeping their hands clean than getting the wheels spinning again.
In May the city borrowed half a million dollars to help pay its bills. The money to repay that loan would come from taxes that were yet to be collected.
That huge roadside warning indicated deep mud was ahead. Something needed to happen and the wheels started spinning a bit.
The loan money added a little gravel under the tires and they caught hold and the city inched forward. With the immediate problems allayed, the city continued in the same direction, down the same road.
Now, two months later, the city says it’s going to have to borrow some more money to meet its payroll obligations.
City aldermen have been “talking” about the budget for months, but with little action to follow.
Rather than standing around, pointing at the tires that are buried in mud and complaining, quick action — not more talk — is needed.
During a city work session last week, some sense of ownership of the problem began to appear.
Mayor Jake Middleton attempted to spin the problem a bit.
“I applaud everyone for what they’ve done,” he said.
But what they’ve done appears mostly to simply begin to understand the problems — the city is stuck in the mud. It’s stuck because the “car” is too heavy for the amount of rainy days we’ve seen.
Acknowledgement of the existence of an addiction is said to be the first step in the healing process.
If that’s the case, the city appears may soon be ready for step No. 2.
Middleton seems to have acknowledged the problem.
“We all sat back and we didn’t question it. And I was one of them,” he said at Thursday’s work session.
He’s correct. Middleton and other aldermen — present and past — have been the problem. Natchez has developed a habit of spending more than it has, ignoring the basic premise of running a city, a business or even a household — don’t spend money you don’t have.
Forgetting that common sense notion creates a mud hole ripe for swallowing tires. And that’s where we are now.
After borrowing $500,000 in May, City Clerk Donnie Holloway now warns that more borrowed money soon will be needed. To his credit, Holloway warned as much back in May asking for more than what aldermen ultimately approved.
First-term aldermen Ernest “Tony” Fields wisely pointed out Thursday that little progress has been made.
“With all the steps we took in the budgeting process, we’re still going to be back in the same place,” he said.
He’s dead right.
Aldermen must turn talk into action. Prioritizing the absolute needs of the city and its citizens versus things that can be trimmed and modified is necessary now, this week.
The city must not only make a plan, but also turn it into action.
Unfortunately, the best way to make quick changes in expenses likely will be to reduce staffing. As politically unpopular as that may be, if the city is in need of $1 million more cash than it has coming in, that’s the best, and perhaps only, option.
Starting with cutting their own salaries would be a great first step to show that aldermen are serious about getting clear of the mud. Obviously any cuts to police and fire should be last on the list.
Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.
Comments
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 12:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good comments Cooper! Thanks for your comment on the NPD and the NFD!
Posted by jlmorris (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 10:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"That huge roadside warning indicated deep mud was ahead. Something needed to happen and the wheels started spinning a bit."
Kevin, I think you are assuming that the BOA should be able read and think. Obviously, if they can read and think, then one has to assume that the BOA is in denial.
Let's see, maybe the BOA needs some help for identifying places to cut:
$400,000 savings on health insurance. Do it!
$150,000 savings by contract mowing instead of using city public works employees.
$175,000 savings by cutting the salaries of aldermen, mayor, city clerk and city attorney by $16.000 per year.
$100,000 savings by parking city vehicles instead of allowing personal use.
I am sure that I could find enough to get to a $1,000,000+ total.
It will not be nice, it may cost an alderman a vote or two, but the BOA needs to get off their butts.
Posted by natashakubelikov (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 11:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thousands in UNCOLLECTED fines. The working class are made to pay their fines or they will serve jail time,the welfare moochers,havenot,s,wantnot,s,crackers,and bums don,t pay and are not penalized.
Make the ones riding the taxpayers to death,pay or go to JAIL.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 2:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We can all sit here and complain. But all our complaints should be taken to the voting booth where we can really do something about it.
Posted by 2008 (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
A Perfect Example of Being Stuck in the Natchez Mud
Adams County is still paying for projects that were built because the mind set was “build it and they will come”. It is absolute fiscal irresponsibility to continue this charade and perpetrate this agenda on the citizens of this county. We have new hotels that are not even bringing in the promised “hotel tax” revenue, we have a city government that can not meet its budget; we have loans being taken out by the city government with no way of repaying them. If it is so important to have a recreation facility in Natchez… please utilize the accommodations at Duncan Park for the youth of Natchez. If renovation is needed form a committee of interested citizens and apply for grants, look into private funding, do fund raisers for a year. Go to the schools and promote parent participation through the school system, PTA meetings, town hall, little league teams, just get out and take responsibility for what you want and go to work on it. Ask the Board of Aldermen and city council to take pay cuts....But do NOT ask me to support a tax increase on this subject.
If Vidalia wants to build a Recreational facility and they have the financial means to do so, let them and utilize their facility. We have the advantage of now having all these hotel rooms and bed and breakfasts here in Natchez that would benefit all greatly from the tourists going to Vidalia (where they don’t have the accommodations) to use their facility.
Posted by beammeupscotty (anonymous) on July 26, 2009 at 8:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The sky is falling. Natchez is run on government money be it social security checks, welfare checks,food stamps or grant money. The well is dry. The local,state and federal governments have spent us into debt for the next hundred years. Still we refuse to act like responsible adults and stop spending what we don't have. The ones that will have to pay this debt haven't had their grand parents born yet.
Posted by mrmojorisin (anonymous) on July 28, 2009 at 6:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Stuck in the mud? Heck, the wheels have come off and we're high-centered with a broken axle.
It's the age old disease of Natchezians...trying to be something we're not! From the high-falootin' wannabe plantation owners living in the hand me down antebellum mansions to the union boobs who lost our industry rather than change with the times to the wannabe slaves who think government handouts are still not reparation enough, we keep bouncing around the ruts of repitition until it's too late. The bill has come due. Someone must pay the piper.
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. ....... any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.".........John Donne "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions"
When we all understand each of us shares in the outcome of every action and reaction, maybe then we will share in the understanding of the gift God made us when he gave us one another....rcc
---mojo
Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on July 28, 2009 at 11:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Left Field Again!
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