Over the past six weeks, the Petal Board of Aldermen and Mayor Hal Marx have worked to create a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2019-20 that will not cut the police or fire departments, while maintaining the Parks and Recreation Department and not increasing property taxes.
Although officials feel that has been accomplished for the most part, there is some disagreement between some aldermen and the mayor as to exactly how that will be done in the upcoming budget, which will be voted on next month.
During a special-called meeting Monday evening at Petal Civic Center, Marx said his concern with the proposed budget is that it relies on one-time money transfers – in particular, about $300,000 that was moved from debt service to general fund and a $100,000 donation to sports from Forrest County District 3 Supervisor Burkett Ross – that may not be available come next year’s budget.
“So that means that either next year we’re faced again with cutting employees – possibly firefighters or other employees – or raising property taxes, or both,” Marx said. “I think before we adopt the budget, we need to know that we’re making some assumptions that we really haven’t worked out all the details for.
“So I think before we move forward, we need to discuss what we’re going to do next year at this time, whenever we’re faced with the same possibilities.”
Marx said the budget also fails to leave room for emergencies, such as tornadoes and floods.
“We don’t have any extra money in the budget for any kind of contingency or anything like that,” he said. “My fear is that we are still going to be in the hole next year, because we’re not digging out of the hole this year and making some tough decisions we need to make.
“It’s great to say we have a budget that’s balanced – yeah, we do. We had one before that was balanced that made some cuts, and that (financial officials) approved, and the board changed their mind and rejected that.”
One of the main contentions of the budget is an agreement the city made in 2017 with the Petal Sports Association, in which the two entities entered into a partnership that created the Petal Athletics Office under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Department. Previous to that, the Optimist Club of Petal was responsible for baseball in the city, while girl’s softball was operated at the fields in Sunrise.
Although sports grew and combined during the city’s partnership with PSA, the programs did not produce enough revenue for the city to cover the cost to taxpayers, with the city receiving slightly more than $100,000 back on an expense budget of almost $800,000.
Because of that, a $500,000 budget cut was proposed, and Petal officials decided they could no longer maintain the ball fields near the Petal Family Branch YMCA within the current budget. Marx said although the PSA hosts games at those parks, for the past couple years the city has shouldered the financial responsibility, which has become no longer feasible.
In addition, the budget cuts would necessitate the removal of an unknown number of positions in the Parks and Recreation Department.
Alderman-at-Large William King said while he agrees that the budget is tight – and admits to being optimistic in looking forward to next year’s budget – aldermen can always come back during the fiscal year and make amendments to or adjust the budget.
“If we go into the fourth quarter of next year’s budget, and we’re looking and seeing that something is failing and we’re going to fall short, an amendment can be made at that time,” King said. “I feel, though, at this point in time, we owe it to the athletic department to provide for the kids by having a coordinated effort with PSA.
“If we see (later) that we’re going to fall short and we’re going to fail, then yes, at that time the decision can be made. But I think we owe them the opportunity in the meantime to look at other ways to generate additional revenue.”
Some of those other ways could include a raise in millage – King said, for instance, a 1-mill increase would generate $100,000 and only cost each Petal resident less than $4 a year – or a proposed 1-cent sales tax increase.
“What’s that going to do to the small businesses here?” King said. “We don’t know – we haven’t researched that. It’s something that was talked about; it’s not been determined yet.
“What has been determined is that both the mayor and the council have come up with ideas about a balanced budget. Yes, the mayor’s is a lot more conservative, but the decision that the city board is going with has also got the approval of (our) accountant, knowing that we’re going into this not just throwing numbers into the wind.”
King said a more conservative budget would practically do away with the entire Parks and Recreation Department, while the board’s proposed budget is aimed, in part, at keeping jobs there.
“That department consists of 11 people,” he said. “The way the board is going with it, we’re saying that we can sacrifice down to about seven people total and consolidate the two entities – the athletic department and the recreation department.
“We’ll double up on some of the stuff and streamline it. We’ve both got balanced budgets here, but the way the city’s council looking at it is that we’re saving a few jobs and still providing for the kids of the community.”
Ward 3 Alderman Clint Moore said the budget situation is entirely the fault of the board, and has nothing to do with any of the city’s departments or personnel. In fact, Moore said, over the last few budget cycles, the city has spent $1.23 million more than it has brought in.
“If any of you guys should be upset with anybody, it’s the seven of us that are sitting here that have failed you over many, many years,” he said. “This is not a recreation problem, this is not a fire department problem – this, ultimately, is a city aldermen problem.
“So if you’re going to point fingers at anyone, don’t point it at the fire chief, don’t point it at the director of Parks and Recreation – it’s the seven of us right here that you have to point to. So we understand that, and the only thing we can do at this point is commit to make this better.”
Ward 4 Alderman Brad Amacker, who is against the proposed budget, said that overspending is the direct result of budgets like the one that is currently on the floor.
“It’s irresponsible to go out and stretch to the very limits – legal limits, but irresponsible limits – of the revenue that you think might come in,” he said. “The reason I’m against this budget … is that we’ve spent too much money; we’re continuing to spend too much money.
“I am in favor of the more conservative path that the mayor has proposed, that does not require any raising of sales taxes – it just cuts some luxuries. We have an excellent sports authority here in Petal – I have no ill will against them at all; they do a great job – but if they can fund it, they should, without city finance. The city needs to be paving roads.”
The meeting also gave the opportunity for residents to voice their opinion, such as Jesse Sanford, who said necessities should come first and recreation second.
“The Petal Sports Association is a good thing if you can afford it, but it doesn’t take care of life and safety,” he said. “We need our policemen and our firemen not to be touched, and if we can support the Petal Sports Association, I’m all for it.
“But as you know, sales taxes drive off businesses. Petal is a growing city, and I’d like to see it continue to grow.”
