The proposed Indianola city budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins October 1, was adopted during a special session that took place on Thursday night.
Mayor Steve Rosenthal had to cast the deciding nod after the aldermen in attendance split the vote 2 to 2. Alderman Gary Fratesi was absent.
The new budget includes a 2.51 mills tax increase and pay raises for city department heads and public works employees. The revised planned fiscal outlay has a deficit of over $265,000, which is reportedly more than $100,000 less than what was presented at Monday nights regular session.
On Monday, it was Fratesi who addressed the $300,000-plus shortfall that the city is operating under and asked that a second look be given to the financial document citing,
“We’re out distancing ourselves every year with deficits because we’re using up our little rainy day fund,” he said.
Thursday night’s determination allowed the city to forego the possible embarrassment of a shutdown.
If the budget had not been approved, the city wouldn’t be able to spend any money after Sept. 30.
In response to a “what happens if we don’t ” question raised by Alderman Darrell Simpson, Rosenthal said, “We shut down.”
Pick up a copy of next week’s Enterprise-Tocsin for all of details of Thursday night’s meeting.
