Council did receive consolidated Q1 and Q2 financial reports from the Parks Commission at Monday’s meeting. There were no Parks employees or commissioners present, a point aldermen pointed out to the mayor when they had questions about details of the income statement, such as which revenue stream is being used to pay for the $59,275 shuttle loan with Equity Bank, and if any of it is being paid by the Lake Leatherwood tax income.
While the first half of 2020 showed a net profit of $39,181, the question of accurate revenue allocation was not answered. Alderman Melissa Greene said she was disappointed with the lack of detail in the reports and said she wanted to see the separate accounts and “where the money was going.”
Greene asked Mayor Butch Berry for the interim-director and the commission Chair to attend the next council meeting. Berry replied, “Well we can; now you realize what we were asking—this is their approved balance sheet and profit and loss—so this is what they approved.” Berry said the reports were created by the accountant who submitted them to the Parks Commission.
Alderman Susan Harman stated she still has not received the 2020 approved budget from the Parks Commission and Berry said he would work on attaining those details, and the 2020 budget.
Harman also asked the mayor when the public can expect City Hall to reopen, as for several months the doors have been locked during working hours. Berry chuckled and replied with, “Can you tell me when the Covid will end?” Berry said the doors will remain closed until there is a “downward trend that lasts at least a week to two weeks.” Berry said, “We won’t be open for a while.” Harman responded, “I think the consensus is that everything is basically open, but city hall is not.”
City revenue up in October
While the doors are locked, the city is still earning revenue. The city’s September financial report indicates a general fund net loss of $35,016 with revenues 12.47 percent less than year-to-date projections. Because the city has already received the October revenue payment there is a glimpse of improvement above the same month last year; $235,741 compared to the 2019 earnings of $226,238, a 4.2 percent increase.
This is not quite the monthly increase the city needed to combat the 44.9 percent loss in June, but in the last three months sales tax income has started to recover at an aggregate 2.2 percent growth rate compared to earnings in 2019.
This indicates consumer tourism spending in the last three months is much more similar to the spending during a non-pandemic season than during the hardest-hit pandemic months of March, April and May. However, that consumer confidence may have contributed to the newest surge of Covid cases that keeps the City Hall doors locked.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. in the AUD.
its a shame there are COVID deniers in our government 🙁