The three-person Starkville Audit and Budget Committee told city department heads not to expect across-the-board pay increases for workers if they cannot live within their budgets this fiscal year.
The committee, comprised of Chairman Scott Maynard, Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins and Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn, held its first group meeting with department heads this year after Perkins hammered staff for odd, extravagant spending in both of December’s full board of aldermen meetings.
Perkins highlighted numerous expenditures — boots, Christmas cards and janitorial supplies when departments contract out those services — as non-essential Monday, and ordered Chief Administrative Officer Taylor Adams to compile a list of city cellphones and their associated costs.
The vice mayor also said he would continue to scrutinize each claims docket — the city’s primary bill-paying function that aldermen approve each meeting — but the committee’s main message Monday was clear: Cut costs or forget raises.
“Don’t put us in the position that we will have to breathe down your throats. Just be reserved in your spending; watch every penny,” Wynn said. “I’m on your team. I’m so supportive of you all … (and) your employees receiving a raise, but I want you to help us. Don’t have us pushing the wagon by ourselves. Help us get you there.”
Both Perkins and Maynard echoed Wynn’s sentiments at the table. Even Perkins, who previously stood opposed to raises due to increasing city expenses, said he would support “reasonable pay raises that can be afforded” depending on the city’s financial position.
Perkins also called upon Adams and City Clerk Lesa Hardin to flag unreasonable expenses before they reach the claims docket.
“I think there’s an expectation that if it makes it to the claims docket, it will pass with a 5-2 or 6-1 vote,” said the vice mayor, who routinely votes against the agenda item. “Just because money is budgeted doesn’t mean it has to be spent. We need to be good custodians of taxpayer funds. Somebody has to do the job.”
Before moving to the meat of Monday’s budget meeting, the committee recommended a one-time, $3,000 donation to Unity Park’s continued redevelopment.
In September, Wynn attempted an across-the-board, 1.5 percent wage increase for the current fiscal year, but her proposal died at the table without a second.
“For as long as I am on this board, every year I will put it in the budget even if I have to stand on my own and not be successful at it,” she said last year. “I’ve been on the board (at that time for 15 months). We have two aldermen that are in their second terms and one in his fifth, and we sit up and not say anything? It’s unacceptable. I’m sad that only one person out of seven thought enough about our city employees.”
While Starkville workers did not receive an increase, Oktibbeha County supervisors approved a 3 percent cost of living adjustment for its employees this fiscal year.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.