In spite of a split 2 to 2 tie-vote by the Indianola aldermen, the proposed city budget for the upcoming fiscal year was approved.
The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Mayor Steve Rosenthal had to cast the deciding yes vote during a special session that took place on Thursday night. Alderman Gary Fratesi was absent.
The new budget includes a 2.51 mills tax increase, which is anticipated to bring in $155,000.
It includes 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 the previous Monday night’s regular session.
During that meeting, 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.”
Thursday night’s determination allowed the city to forego the possible embarrassment of a shutdown.
If the budget had not been approved, the city would not 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.”
When they finally arrived at the vote, Alderman Marvin Elder made the motion to approve with added stipulations that the budget would be revisited if adjustments need to be made in the future and after a moment of silence Simpson uttered a second.
Simpson voted yes, aldermen Ruben Woods and Sam Brock voted no, however Elder was silent.
The mayor asked Elder if he was voting yes because he didn’t hear a verbal response from him.
“I didn’t say a word,” replied Elder.
Rosenthal said, “You made the motion, so that’s 2 to 2.”
Elder responded that the matter was up for discussion.
“No, no we just took a vote, it is 2 to 2 and I vote in favor of it, motion carries, if no other business, we’re done,” said Rosenthal.
Elder then asked, “Will they get their raises and get all this stuff?”
The mayor explained that based on his motion the only thing that was to change from the original proposal was how a tractor was to be budgeted. Rosenthal had taken a couple of days to look over the budget to see if there could be any cuts to the deficit and had come up with about $100,000 in cuts, that did not involve the proposed raises for some city employees.
Brock spoke up at that point and asked the mayor how he got a vote.
Rosenthal attempted to explain the breakdown of the ballot, however Brock insisted that it was not two yes and two nays because Elder didn’t vote.
Rosenthal reiterated, “He made the motion.”
He then turned to Elder and asked if he was voting yes for his own motion.
“I didn’t say a word,” Elder insisted.
Elder explained his intent behind his proposal and then turned to Woods and asked if he was in agreement with the raises that were in the budget.
Woods said, “I don’t have a problem with the raises that’s on here. I just have a problem with the raises that are not on here.”
Elder continued addressing Woods, “Everything else, we done cut the fat from a hundred something thousand dollars, now these raises that was on here for these department heads do that stand, that’s what I’m trying to find out?”
Woods reminded Elder that he had already voted no and was not changing his mind.
Rosenthal again queried Elder, “You made a motion, are you going to vote yay for your own motion?”
Elder finally committed verbally to a yes.
