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Friday
March 19, 2010 Since 1922 |
Old River Council cuts staff to make budget
By Ken Fountain
Baytown Sun Published January 16, 2005 OLD-RIVER WINFREE — Facing a budget crunch, City Council members voted to eliminate two part-time police officer positions and cut the work hours of its remaining officer and city secretary.
Additionally, the city will cash in a $22,000 certificate of deposit to keep its finances afloat during the next two months until it receives franchise fees in late February and early March. Franchise fees, along with sales taxes, are the small municipality’s principal source of revenue.
Council members learned this week the city would not be able to pay its regular bills and payroll along with a $3,835.51 payment to the Texas Comptroller’s Office of funds collected by the municipal court.
The fiscal crisis gave vent to longstanding dissension among Council members and residents over whether the city should even have a police force and a municipal court.
J.F. Steadham, the newest member of Council who campaigned last year on a platform of eliminating those entities, renewed his stand during the meeting Friday night.
The city’s financial health “has been going downhill for quite some time. You need to cut the payroll way down,” Steadham said. Furthermore, the city should eliminate its municipal and associate judge positions and the three-person police force, and sell its two police cars.
“Why don’t we just disband the city?” countered Mayor Joe Landry.
Steadham argued the city does not need a police force, since it can receive police protection from the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office.
Municipal Judge Richard Park and City Attorney Dale Listi called for council to go into executive session to discuss legal and employment matters. Council members debated for some time whether it was proper to go into executive session, with Council members Jerren Young and Steadham voting against it.
Following the nearly hour-long session, Landry announced council had decided the city would begin issuing warrants to people who failed to show up for court for traffic offenses as a way of driving up revenue.
Council then turned to the difficult issue of staffing reductions.
Councilwoman Gay Young said while she regretted having to do so, she favored eliminating the two part-time police officer positions, as well as cutting the hours of full-time police officer Sgt. Lindel Ferdinand.
Steadham again argued for the complete elimination of the police department.
Councilman James Robinson said he didn’t see the need for that, arguing he’d been told by Chambers County Sheriff Joe LaRive that the department liked having the police force in Old River-Winfree because it didn’t have the manpower to patrol there.
Robinson said he felt the measures being considered by Council would “buy some time” for the city to find a way out of the crisis.
Steadham made pointed comments about the finances of the city’s volunteer fire department, on which Robinson serves as chief, leading to a sharp exchange between the two men. The fire department receives some funding from the city.
“You don’t worry about our affairs over there,” Robinson told Steadham.
Councilman Jerren Young argued that with the sale of the $22,000 CD, the city would have just enough funds to meet its obligations for the next few months.
Steadham again spoke up, saying, “the city is in a rut. A rut is a grave with no end.”
He said the police force and court, which originally had been funded by a federal grant that has since expired, have “been milking this city dry.”
Jerren Young took strong exception to Steadham’s remarks, particularly what he called “disparaging” remarks about the volunteer fire department.
Landry concurred, saying the fire department “needs to be commended. This is the best fire department we’ve had since I’ve been in Old River.”
Jerren Young next said the crisis had underscored the point that the city was divided over whether it should even have a police force. He argued that during the May election, the ballot should include a referendum on that point.
Following more heated debate, Gay Young made a motion to eliminate the two part-time positions, reducing the hours of Ferdinand and City Secretary Linda Murphy, selling the CD and issuing warrants. Listi suggested the city also sell the older of its two police cars, which would mean a refund of the insurance premium on the vehicle.
The motion passed unanimously.
But the drama was not over, as Robinson said in open council that a resident had come to his house earlier in the day to tell him Steadham had been at a local restaurant “spreading lies and rumors” such as the Council had decided to level a $20 per household tax to meet the city’s obligations.
Steadham denied making any false statements.
Landry called the meeting to a close, but the arguing continued.
Baytown Sun Published January 16, 2005 OLD-RIVER WINFREE — Facing a budget crunch, City Council members voted to eliminate two part-time police officer positions and cut the work hours of its remaining officer and city secretary.
Additionally, the city will cash in a $22,000 certificate of deposit to keep its finances afloat during the next two months until it receives franchise fees in late February and early March. Franchise fees, along with sales taxes, are the small municipality’s principal source of revenue.
Council members learned this week the city would not be able to pay its regular bills and payroll along with a $3,835.51 payment to the Texas Comptroller’s Office of funds collected by the municipal court.
The fiscal crisis gave vent to longstanding dissension among Council members and residents over whether the city should even have a police force and a municipal court.
J.F. Steadham, the newest member of Council who campaigned last year on a platform of eliminating those entities, renewed his stand during the meeting Friday night.
The city’s financial health “has been going downhill for quite some time. You need to cut the payroll way down,” Steadham said. Furthermore, the city should eliminate its municipal and associate judge positions and the three-person police force, and sell its two police cars.
“Why don’t we just disband the city?” countered Mayor Joe Landry.
Steadham argued the city does not need a police force, since it can receive police protection from the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office.
Municipal Judge Richard Park and City Attorney Dale Listi called for council to go into executive session to discuss legal and employment matters. Council members debated for some time whether it was proper to go into executive session, with Council members Jerren Young and Steadham voting against it.
Following the nearly hour-long session, Landry announced council had decided the city would begin issuing warrants to people who failed to show up for court for traffic offenses as a way of driving up revenue.
Council then turned to the difficult issue of staffing reductions.
Councilwoman Gay Young said while she regretted having to do so, she favored eliminating the two part-time police officer positions, as well as cutting the hours of full-time police officer Sgt. Lindel Ferdinand.
Steadham again argued for the complete elimination of the police department.
Councilman James Robinson said he didn’t see the need for that, arguing he’d been told by Chambers County Sheriff Joe LaRive that the department liked having the police force in Old River-Winfree because it didn’t have the manpower to patrol there.
Robinson said he felt the measures being considered by Council would “buy some time” for the city to find a way out of the crisis.
Steadham made pointed comments about the finances of the city’s volunteer fire department, on which Robinson serves as chief, leading to a sharp exchange between the two men. The fire department receives some funding from the city.
“You don’t worry about our affairs over there,” Robinson told Steadham.
Councilman Jerren Young argued that with the sale of the $22,000 CD, the city would have just enough funds to meet its obligations for the next few months.
Steadham again spoke up, saying, “the city is in a rut. A rut is a grave with no end.”
He said the police force and court, which originally had been funded by a federal grant that has since expired, have “been milking this city dry.”
Jerren Young took strong exception to Steadham’s remarks, particularly what he called “disparaging” remarks about the volunteer fire department.
Landry concurred, saying the fire department “needs to be commended. This is the best fire department we’ve had since I’ve been in Old River.”
Jerren Young next said the crisis had underscored the point that the city was divided over whether it should even have a police force. He argued that during the May election, the ballot should include a referendum on that point.
Following more heated debate, Gay Young made a motion to eliminate the two part-time positions, reducing the hours of Ferdinand and City Secretary Linda Murphy, selling the CD and issuing warrants. Listi suggested the city also sell the older of its two police cars, which would mean a refund of the insurance premium on the vehicle.
The motion passed unanimously.
But the drama was not over, as Robinson said in open council that a resident had come to his house earlier in the day to tell him Steadham had been at a local restaurant “spreading lies and rumors” such as the Council had decided to level a $20 per household tax to meet the city’s obligations.
Steadham denied making any false statements.
Landry called the meeting to a close, but the arguing continued.