Itta Bena’s recently elected mayor and aldermen discussed money, money, money at Tuesday’s meeting — grants, budgeting, spending and auditing.
The town has characterized itself as fundamentally broke over the last year, and tightening the purse strings was a central focus of the Town Hall meeting, with most tasks and questions aimed at City Clerk Edna Beverly.
Willis Engineering’s Kim Vance, who works with Itta Bena on managing grants, told the board that two new grants — one for $250,000 and another for $450,000, designated for work on the town’s electrical grid and sewage system — are ready to be accessed once bank accounts are set up to manage the funds.
Vance said the grant to replace sewage station pumps might be able to accomplish “a little more than we thought.” Itta Bena’s troubled sewage system was a frequently raised topic in recent elections.
A third grant for $150,000 to renovate Itta Bena’s Public Works building will require a 20 percent payout or $17,500 from the city. Vance explained that the grant is a designated 80-20 award that is hard for small municipalities to get.
Aldermen expressed surprise that the grant required a match by the town, saying it had been presented to them previously as a 100 percent grant.
Vance said the $17,500 covers engineering and administration costs, and the remaining 80 percent covers the cost of the renovations to the building.
Beverly agreed to get the bank accounts for the first two grants set up so that the city can advertise for contractors. The board agreed to table acceptance of the 80-20 grant for a month, to determine whether funds are available to pay the match.
The board also discussed putting together a budget for the next fiscal year. Beverly said this task must be completed before Sept. 30.
Beverly told board members that she had been busy working with an auditor, trying to address past budget problems, and would need more time to begin the budgeting process.
Aldermen suggested that Beverly might hand off some tasks to an assistant in the office, but Beverly said the other employee is not trained or qualified to perform many tasks that are required.
Alderman JoAnn Purnell expressed concern that someone in the city administration be trained to fill in for Beverly when she was not there. The board agreed that another person needs to be trained to perform some of the administrative tasks that all fall now to Beverly.
Regarding the audit, Beverly said that since October 2014, Itta Bena has started the new fiscal year with a budget out of balance and that the problem dates back even further, to 2011.
Concerned aldermen asked what assets the city had, and when Beverly said she did not have a comprehensive list, the board requested that she come up with one for them to see.
Booker Kemper of Memphis has conducted the town’s audits during the years in question.
“Look at the dates,” Alderman Reginald Freeman said. “He did the audits for ’11, ’12, ’13 and ’14, and we’re two years behind and out of balance.”
Mayor J.D. Brasel suggested that if Kemper cannot reconcile the problem and provide needed services, the board needs to find somebody else.
The board moved and approved bringing Kemper to the next board meeting to answer questions about the audit.
Regarding spending, Brasel asked aldermen to approve cutting back until the new budget is passed, except for emergencies.
Beverly told the board that they were “at the brink of going over” on several line items on the existing budget.
After discussing what constitutes emergency spending, the board approved cutting back until October, when a new budget will be in place.
In other city business:
•Board members discussed an existing ordinance covering use of Itta Bena’s city park by groups and the cost of using utilities and water at large city-permitted functions. The board took no action but agreed to review the policy.
•The board approved a school supply drive at City Park on Aug. 5, to be managed by Jaylon Swinney and a group of his friends. The drive, open to public school students in Itta Bena, will be from 4 to 6 p.m.
•The board went into executive session to discuss possible litigation involving Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
•Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
