Councilwoman requests updated budget proposal information from auditor

CHILLICOTHE— Chillicothe city council along with Mayor Luke Feeney and City Auditor Kristal Spetnagel recently received an email from councilwoman Dr. Allison Henderson about the 2023 budget and the timeliness in which it is being presented.

In the email, Henderson states that the new budget will be a reflection on all of the council members so it should be taken seriously. She wrote that it is up to council to make sure the budget is a responsible use of taxpayer money. She also notes that taxpayers voted in the current council members in hopes that they would use a critical eye when looking at any and all legislation. As a member of the finance committee she believes a discussion needs to happen before anything is approved.

"It is up to us to ensure the taxpayer’s money is saved, directed, and utilized in a responsible manner," said Henderson in the email. "None of us should take this lightly, and each must answer to our fellow taxpayer as to why we did or did not allow moneys to be spent."

Henderson said she is disappointed in both the auditor’s and mayor’s offices for not having a presentation ready on the new proposed budget on time. She said council began hearing from department heads, who have just made budget requests, in mid-October and were told they should have a proposal from the mayor and auditor by the Nov. 21 council meeting, but no proposal was made.

Due to the late date city council will be unable to read the budget on the agenda to the public three times during regularly scheduled meetings before the new year. Henderson said she thinks the public should have ample opportunity to look at the budget since it is their money being spent.

"It is not fair to the public to not have this read three times," said Henderson.

With all of this in mind, she is requesting, on behalf of the finance committee and city council, for an updated budget proposal so that council members have time to review the information before anything is passed. She is also asking for more transparency and honesty from the offices as she said she has asked for many documents from the auditor this year to evaluate the financial status of the city but has recently been denied information.

"When I asked for updated forms I got nothing," said Henderson. "I have not been receiving answers."

Feeney however said council and committee have had almost three months to discuss the budget as department heads have presented their proposals in front of council and been open to any questions and comments council members may have after each presentation.

During this time council is able to talk about what they would and would not approve. If they say during a meeting that a certain aspect of the budget would not be approved it will not be proposed in the final document.

He also said this is a good time to let people know how the budgeting for the city works. Planning for budgeting often starts in the summer with departments looking at what they need and what they want. The auditor then looks at the projected revenue for next year, which can change, and decides what fits within each budget. A utility bringing in less money will have less money to spend when it comes time for budgeting.

It can be a lengthy process deciding what needs to be cut and what needs to stay. If an item stays the city then has to figure out how to pay for it, either buy it outright or finance it. These decisions are even harder to make when the city is in the middle of financing a large project like it currently is with the wastewater treatment plant.

After getting everything sorted to top priorities a refined document is brought to council to vote on. Feeney, however, said this document contains no new information as council has already heard everything from the directors.

"When our budget gets presented it is after months of work," said Feeney. "It's after months of getting refined and getting to the point where it's balanced."

When it comes to getting this information late Feeney said according to Ohio law the permanent budget does not have to be passed till a few months into 2023, the city could instead use a temporary budget during that time. Spetnagel however said they do not plan on doing that and a budget will be to council members very soon. Council will then have time to look over the budget and read it twice during regularly scheduled meetings or they could waive one of the reads and vote on it during the last meeting of the year. A special meeting could also be held and counted as a public reading of the budget. How it is read will ultimately be up to council.

Spetnagel also said she has answered every question council has asked her and that she has not withheld any information. With public records requests she said she has not denied any. She said the only things she has not given out are items that were not yet complete.

"I have responded to every email and provided all the information," said Spetnagel. "As far as I know there is no loose information. If there's something they are waiting on I am not aware of that."

Both Spetnagel and Feeney said they have open-door policies where any member of council could have come to them if they had a problem with the budget or the way things were being handled. Feeney also said that if council wanted to change the way the budget is delivered he would be happy to have a conversation about how it could be changed.

"If council want us, or wanted us, to do something differently that is the legislative body that can make that request," said Feeney. "If they said they needed the full budget by a certain date that's fine by Kristal and I."

Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Councilwoman requests updated budget proposal information from auditor