Transfers will now be logged
Published Wednesday, June 10, 2009
NATCHEZ — The Natchez Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday to adopt a policy that would require the city clerk to create and maintain a log of any inter-fund transfers and loans.
Alderman Dan Dillard made the motion.
“These unscheduled transfers of monies have become a problem in the accounting of the city’s finances, and I think the city clerk will agree with that,” Dillard said.
“There are transfers that are necessary, but these unscheduled transfers create an unsettled financial standing which I believe we could characterize as causing us to look at borrowing money to make ends meet.”
The board recently borrowed $500,000 in an effort to reconcile discrepancies in the city budget caused by the shuffling of monies from one city fund to another.
“My intentions are not to complicate the process, but to ensure a means of financial accounting,” Dillard said.
Dillard’s motion, which was approved unanimously, requires City Clerk Donnie Holloway to log to what fund monies were transferred to, where they were transferred from and why.
It would also require that a copy of the transfer log be presented to the board at every meeting.
Holloway agreed that the log was a good idea.
“We have been borrowing money for the last four years, and we need to get this under control,” he said. “I think we all need to sit down and make some tough decisions.”
The aldermen also gave City Engineer David Gardner permission to advertise for bids to get construction for the north Natchez drainage project under way.
Before the project can begin in full, however, Gardner said the engineering would have to be finished, right of ways taken care of and any utilities that would be affected relocated.
Gardner said he expects for the engineering work to wrap up this week.
Once the project is given approval by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, then he can advertise, Gardner said.
“Don’t expect it to happen in the next month,” he said. “It could be as much as two or three months.”
In other news:
•The board decided to have City Attorney Everett Sanders ask the attorney general’s opinion about what they can do about trees that hang out from private property over public property.
Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis said the recent incident in which a large limb fell from inside Rosalie onto a passing car on Canal Street has her concerned.
“There is still part of that tree hanging over the street,” Arceneaux-Mathis said. “I know people are excited about these historical trees, but I would rather be excited about keeping people alive. People are assuming these streets are safe to drive on.”
•Gardner informed the board the city would place “No Parking” signs on Maple Street.
The need for the signs was to keep the street visible because of children who play in the area, Arceneaux-Mathis said.
•The board approved a joint resolution that would continue to allow the intergovernmental agreement between the city and Adams County to form for Metro Narcotics.