HomeMy WebLinkAboutCalled Commission Meeting December 1, 2015
CALLED MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
December 1, 2015
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 1,
2015, the Honorable Hardie Davis, Jr., Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Guilfoyle, Sias, Frantom, M. Williams, Smith, Fennoy, D. Williams,
Hasan, and Davis, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
ABSENT: Hon. Lockett, member of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
Mr. Mayor: We have a special called meeting. That is supposed to take place at 3:30
regarding the 2015 budgetary matters based on what I’ve heard from the commissioners
regarding that and wanted to make sure there is no appearance of impropriety whatsoever. I
shared an email with those of you on last night from the commission about the Mayor’s Office
budget. I shared that in good faith with you all with regards to my handling of the 2015 budget
that resulted in a shortfall. It’s my hope that the expectation before this body to have this
conversation we can work in an amicable manner and arrive at a harmonious solution. With that
because we don’t want any appearance of impropriety the Chair will relinquish the gavel to the
Mayor Pro Tem and the Mayor Pro Tem will preside over the special called meeting.
Mr. Smith: Okay, this meeting is now in session. Do we have any comments? All right,
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commissioner from the 4.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. In the fact of what we are looking into today
I just want to get some clarity on exactly what the number and maybe we can get that from our
Finance Director if possible reference this budgetary matter of the 2015 in the Office of the
Mayor. Is the shortfall $27,000, $25,000? We’ve seen a couple of numbers. Can we get some
clarity on that?
Ms. Williams: Based on information for actual expenditures and some projections that
were made with the latest information, we know that there will be approximately $26,245 of
additional expenses that the Mayor’s Office will incur through the end of the year. This takes
care of two more pay payrolls and their associated fringe benefits, telephone charges, cell phone
charges, and the copier contract. It also provides for approximately eight weeks at $925.00 a
week for the temporary employee that is being paid for through the staffing agency because the
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last payment that was made was for the week that ended October 30. So this is projected
through the end of the year. Now what is not known is any additional expenditures that may be
on or any commitments that have not been issued a purchase order or on the credit card.
Mr. Sias: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Smith: Go ahead, Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Just one follow-up, Ms. Williams. And when we talk about this amount of
$26,245 at least one week of a pay period is already under obligation. Am I correct in that just
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say for example it was, and this is not any pre-requisite or anything, just say when we start
talking about this, the money that this will cover as a pay period, that pay period began if I’m not
mistaken a week ago last week, am I correct?
Ms. Williams: That’s correct. The next scheduled pay date is December 11, I believe.
Mr. Sias: So right now these folks have already worked a week under this particular
issue. Am I correct?
Ms. Williams: Yes, sir.
Mr. Sias: All right, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Smith: Commissioner Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Pro Tem. Donna, as far as this $26,245 as going to be
you projected to the end of the year, fiscal 2015, is there any of this money that could be
deducted, saved, not spent, etc. I know we’ve got commitments such as copier, cell phones,
phones, etc.
Ms. Williams: The temporary worker would be the one that I have no knowledge of how
often or how much they’re working or when that individual is scheduled to work for the rest of
the year. That’s really the only thing that I would see judging from our initial analysis.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Pro Tem, can I direct questions to the Mayor, please, sir?
Mr. Smith: Go ahead.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, as far as your budget that everybody that works for this
government as far as elected officials, etc. are required to stay within a budget means, naturally
you have laid this on our lap this last week and I’d like to know since you put us, you put
yourself in the position, how are you going to resolve this matter? That’s one of my questions.
Mr. Mayor: With regards to how we resolve it today or how –
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mayor: -- we resolve it moving forward?
Mr. Guilfoyle: I have a two part question but as far as you put under your budget how
are you going to get this fixed?
Mr. Mayor: Well, with all due respect, Commissioner, I think that’s why we’re here
today to seek help from this body in terms of how we arrive at that. One of the things that we
suggested even in our conversation last night is that there have been a number of conversations
I’m sure but one proposal that potentially was there based on the budget recommendation, the
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original budget recommendation from the Administrator’s Office of $346,000 for the Mayor’s
Office which put us at a very appropriate operable place, that there could have been a reduction
in the needed amount from the 2016 budget to take care of the shortfall in 2015. What was not
anticipated was a budget approved at the level of $305,000 which is what this body did hours
ago. That was how we had hoped to resolve this matter. But today given that that’s not our
posture, my hope is that with the help of this body, we can resolve this issue. I’m certainly open
to entertain ideas.
Mr. Guilfoyle: All right. As far as for what commitments are you willing to give not
only to this body but to the people that you’re going to be fiscally responsible for the year 2016
with any plans to stay within your budget?
Mr. Mayor: Well, we’ve already taken those steps in the office. We’ve looked at how
we can certainly minimize not only travel but minimize what we’re doing from the standpoint.
Let me remind everyone that when we took office it’s almost like starting up a new business.
There are costs that we incurred in the year 2015 that we will not incur in 2016 simply by virtue
of the fact that we’ve incurred those costs this year from a printing standpoint, paper, office
supplies, etc. These are things that we incurred by reason of taking office. There has already
been ideas as to how we can not only minimize that moving forward. As it relates to temporary
staff, we’re prepared to make adjustments in that area as well.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor, I know that temporary staff is right at $48,000 a year based at
$925 a week. I can’t get in to you on how you spend money. The only thing this body does is
control how much you do spend unless you do go over where we are in this one position. But
we’re actually a member of four different agencies, NACO, ACCG, GMA and National League
of Cities and I would appreciate any kind of consideration from your department to consider
staying within our means as far as our expenditures.
Mr. Mayor: You know, Commissioner, I too share that sentiment and again, as I said last
night, I accept and take full responsibility at the mistake that I’ve made in handling the 2015
budget. I own it. I accept it and there’s an expectation that the citizens have of me as the Mayor
and certainly this body as well. With regards to memberships as a result of me being a member
of the governing body, I too am included in the memberships as it relates to NACO, NLC and
GMA as well as ACCG. But in the role of Mayor there are other organizations that I believe it is
prudent and certainly the right thing to be a part of those organizations. U. S. Conference of
Mayors, there are many things that we’ve brought back to the city in terms of what we can
accomplish, what works. Mayor Young was the last member as a Mayor of this city to
participate in that. I think there are some opportunities as it relates to memberships. Really from
a governing body perspective that perhaps these are things, whether I’m the Mayor of someone
else is the Mayor, they probably should come out of the general fund because we know that from
an operational standpoint we’re going to participate in these types of organizations and do that in
a way that adds value to our city. That’s just a suggestion but my commitment is to one, stay
within budget. We’ve already taken steps in our office based on where we are today with this
unfortunate and untimely conversation and as I again said to each of you I accept full
responsibility for where we are today. We’ll make those adjustments.
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Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Smith: Commissioner Davis.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. You know I think it’s pretty clear that none
of us have enjoyed being put in this position or being in this position as the Mayor just indicated
to so I think we’ve all shown our frustrations and our disappointments with this because we
know how important it is for all of our department heads and other elected officials to do their
best to stay in their budget so I think that’s been pretty clear to the public and we have again
voiced our frustrations with each other so I think it’s time for us to figure out what are our
options, make a decision and put this one item to bed and move forward with the business that
we’re here to do so I don’t know if those options are going to best come from the Administrator
or from the Finance Director but if we could just, I know that this is probably not the first time
this has happened, I’m not sure if it has or not, but what are our options and who is best to
answer that, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem? Finance Director or Administrator, either one.
Mr. Smith: I would say Ms. Williams if she would come back to the podium or also our
Administrator.
Ms. Williams: I drew the short straw.
Mr. Smith: I was going to say ya’ll look like you flipped a coin and you lost it.
Ms. Williams: She pulled rank on me.
Mr. Smith: I hear you.
Ms. Davis: Mayor Pro Tem, can I just ask Ms. Williams has the Commission been faced
with this before at the end of the year for a department to try to figure out where to find these
funds to pay salaries and finish out the year with a department?
Ms. Williams: There were some adjustments made I think last in 2014. There were one
or two departments that could not meet the reductions that were passed across the board by the
Commission and so in about September or October there were a group of departments that were
brought back and they were adjusted. That money typically comes out of your contingency
account. That is by virtue of the name contingency, that’s the stated purpose. It’s for unforeseen
occurrences that happen during the year. It provides a pool of reserves so to speak for –
Ms. Davis: What would happen if we do not reallocate funds for the rest of the year for
this $26,200?
Ms. Williams: You have an obligation to pay the elected official for as long as that
elected official holds office so you would be required to make that payment. You are required to
pay staff for time that they work for you. As to whether or not you completely shut down the
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Mayor’s Office which I’m not recommending by any means so what you outlined is an
impractical alternative.
Ms. Davis: So what are our options?
Ms. Williams: That you pick a desired level of funding to carry the Mayor’s Office
through the end of the year. Pick an amount associated with that and move that money from
contingency into the Mayor’s budget.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Smith: Okay. Commissioner Fennoy then Commissioner Sias and then
Commissioner Hasan. Let’s go that route.
Mr. Fennoy: Ms. Jackson, I think for 2014 we allocated $100,000 for the ADA
Coordinator.
Ms. Jackson: I think it was roughly $125,000 for the creation of that office, yes.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay, how much of that money has been spent?
Ms. Jackson: I don’t know off the top of my head. I know that we have been in a
situation where we have hired somebody to come in on a contract basis to provide EEO services.
I’m not sure if all that came out of the EEO budget or if some of it actually came out of that line
item as well so I would have to get those numbers verified for you.
Mr. Fennoy: Say that again now.
Ms. Jackson: Both of us would have to research that question. We don’t know that off
the top of our heads. What I was asserting was that we of course created the Compliance Office
during the course of the year where we combined the budgets of what was the DBE Office, the
EEO Office and what was going to be the ADA function all into the Compliance Office and we
had to contract with someone to provide the EEO services. I’m not sure if all of that money
came out of the EEO budget or if some of it also came out of what was there for the ADA budget
so we would have to research that to see if any of that has been spent and how much.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay. If there is any money left over, could we use that money to carry the
Mayor through the remainder of the year?
Ms. Jackson: I think that would still require a transfer? According to our policies you all
would still have to authorize transferring those monies from the Compliance Office to the
Mayor’s Office.
Ms. Williams: Essentially you accomplish the same thing. It requires an authorization of
the governing body to make that transfer. It’s actually cleaner to take it from contingency
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account. It all folds back into your fund balance at the end of the year that anything that’s
unspent anyway.
Mr. Fennoy: All right.
Mr. Smith: Okay, Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. I think that this is a position that all of us
here would rather have not been in but I just want to make a couple of comments and then I have
a motion. Number one, as we go forward I would expect that this government, all entities of this
government, will maintain their own budgets and not go into anybody’s budget, whether it’s the
commission, whether it’s the Office of the Mayor, we should all live within our means and that
(inaudible) all the departments and if there’s an emergency, then that item should come back to
this body as we attempted to do back in February on this particular issue we’re discussing now.
But the Commission itself has the same responsibility as the Office of the Mayor and every
department. We have to live within our means. We should not be dipping in other departments’
budgets to do anything if we or anybody overspend their own or spend too much. With that
being said, I move that we cover the $26,245 shortfall in the Office of the Mayor with funds
from our contingency.
Mr. Fennoy: Second.
Mr. Smith: Commissioner Hasan and Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Hasan: Thank you, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. First thing I’d like to commend the Mayor
for recusing himself in this conversation. I applaud you for doing that, Mr. Mayor. That was
one of the things that was going through my mind was that a precedence in doing that and I
applaud you for taking the initiative to do that. I’ll commend you on that. Second thing, my
colleague Commissioner Davis asked the Finance Director some questions about some things
that happened last year in terms of budgetary items and she shared with us that there were some
shortfalls last year and this government covered those in the best means possible. But I think
there’s something also that has not been said and things like that when February 3 of this year
when Commissioner Sias put this issue on the agenda to ask the Mayor what was his need and
what was his concerns were and see how we can assist the Mayor’s Office and at that time we
got no response from the Mayor. Commissioner Sias let it be known very plainly that his intent
was not to do the Mayor, to cripple the Mayor and let him do his job. Commissioner Lockett
came back and suggested that the Administrator and the Finance Director get with the Mayor and
that didn’t get enough support to do that. Commissioner Williams weighed in at that point and
said, no, before Commissioner Lockett did that, he asked the Administrator about her
professional opinion and her experience, how does that normally happen. She shared with what
her professional experience had been in that regard in trying to resolve that issue. From there
Commissioner Williams weighed in on and shared what he thought was best. He wanted to see it
and wanted this body to look at this line item because that was the issue that was before us to see
what the Mayor’s needs were and give us a line item and at the end of the day, we’ll make a
decision about that because we want to see the Mayor’s Office be successful. After
Commissioner Williams spoke, I spoke at that particular time to concur in support of all that had
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been said in terms of making the Mayor’s Office whole and be successful but through all that
conversation that I just mentioned, I just went down verbatim and I will tell you once again how
it happened. It was on the agenda by Commissioner Sias, Commissioner Sias laid the foundation
for the conversation. Commissioner Lockett weighed in to try to get the parties together, the
Administrator, the Finance Director and the Mayor together. That didn’t take root.
Commissioner Williams weighed in from there of support of trying to get this line item before us
and then I weighed in in support of it all. Through this whole process Commissioner Fennoy
weighed in and wanted to know could he make a motion and the Mayor said yes, make a motion
and the Mayor deferred back to Commissioner Sias and Commissioner Sias said “Well, I’ll make
a motion, Mr. Mayor, since I didn’t get any response that if you get back with us about the
budget because since you didn’t make a motion” and it was received as information. I say that to
say that we did what we could and we didn’t get a response so I see even though in 2014 some
departments were funded, had a shortfall, we attempted to do the same thing for the Mayor’s
Office but through that whole conversation he never said, “Well, I will get this information to
you, I will provide you what you need.” He did say, “I appreciate that, Commissioner” but he
never gave us anything from that day to this day about attempting to assist him. So that doesn’t
change what your body decides to do but I’m showing that it is not quite that clear. That
happened February 3 of this year when assistance was offered to him. Now to go to my
conversation yesterday with the Mayor himself. The Mayor and I talked yesterday around 3:25
yesterday and we talked through some things and with that one of the things I was sharing with
him that I just been receiving calls or fielding calls or handling calls from my constituents and
my constituents unanimously even to today I received a call at 10:45 this morning a.m. and they
have been 100% saying not to give the Mayor’s Office any more money. You know. That’s all
the calls I’ve received. So whatever you put on the table for me, I will not be able to support it
because all of my constituents have shared to me not to give the Mayor’s Office any money. So
if it’s put on the table, I will not be able to support it if it’s giving some funding. Thank you so
much, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, for your time.
Mr. Smith: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. M. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I don’t want to get it confused with what
happened in 2014 or ’13 whenever that was when we asked the staff to cut back and some of the
departments weren’t able to meet that cut we had. It wasn’t a budget, I think that was a cut that
we asked the staff to do in order to do some other things and I’m thinking about Procurement or
somebody and I’m not like Commissioner Hasan. He’s got it verbatim but I do remember and
that was different from our budget in setting our budget up. I spoke with the Mayor several
times on this same issue and I said to him on Monday that we need to talk about it today in case
we had to furlough or do something different that we’d have time to do that. Not knowing that
the pay period cycle has gotten started already that we need to do something at least by the end
of this week I’m thinking. We have reached out, we’ve done everything we can. I think the
budget is just what it is. It’s a budget and that’s what we’re supposed to go by. Now, Ms.
Williams, if you’ll come back one more time. I know you get tired of looking at us but we’ll
never get tired of looking at you. So can you tell me what those issues was with our departments
because some of them couldn’t meet those cuts, is that right? How did that work because I’m
trying to remember now.
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Ms. Williams: I’m trying to remember too because after a while the budgets begin to run
together but there were a few departments that their budgets were more heavily weighted
towards their salary structure and they didn’t have a lot of arbitrary operational expenditures in
their budgets and when the 2 ½% across the board reduction was included in the budget, there
were a couple of departments that could not just realistically could not make those reductions
happen. Finance brought back in, and I’ve got to go back and look, sometime towards the end of
the third quarter, fourth quarter of the year we brought back a list of departments that could not
meet those cuts and make a projection to this governing body and the budgets for those
departments was amended.
Mr. Williams: So in my thinking if we fund this, the Mayor’s Office or his staff, the
Mayor’s going to get his salary, he’s an elected official and that’s not going to bother his salary.
It’s not including his salary, right?
Ms. Williams: I’m going to defer to the attorney. You have an obligation to pay an
elected official as long as long as that elected official holds office and their salary is set.
Mr. Williams: I understand that and I just want clarity. Just nod your head, Andrew.
That’s all, I understand that that much. I’m just trying to make sure that we can get this staff at
least paid this week if there’s got to be a furlough. I’m not for changing this budget. We had an
opportunity to talk about it. I’m not against but I think we’ve got to hold everybody to the same
standard. Now we was up here talking about getting a gas card at one time. And if I went over
I’d have, Sylvia Cooper and Susan would both have me on the front page like they do every
week anyway but they would have had me on the front page for going over on the gas card.
Now this is a budget that we had set and we knew what it was. So I’m trying to figure out a way
to go through to the end of this week as far as I want to go. And if somebody can help me do
that. If you can give me some numbers to match that I have no problem. Today is Tuesday but
that’s as far as I’m willing to go.
Mr. Smith: Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. If you could I would appreciate it if you
could take a pause. We had one member that had to step out and I think that will be appropriate
for them to get back with your consent and then I’ll ask that you consider a vote on my motion to
pay the $26,245 out of our Contingency Fund and bring this thing to a close.
Mr. Smith: All right, so we have a motion on that and do we have a second? Okay,
Commissioner Dennis Williams is back so I guess call for the vote on the motion. Okay, call for
the vote. We have a motion and a second.
Mr. D. Williams, Mr. Hasan, Mr. Frantom, Mr. Guilfoyle and Mr. M. Williams vote No.
Motion fails 4-5.
Mr. Sias: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Smith: Commissioner Sias, go ahead.
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Mr. Sias: Thank you, sir. Move that we reconsider the item that we voted on.
Ms. Davis: Second that.
Mr. Smith: We have a move and a second and so let’s call for the vote to revote.
Mr. Hasan: Is it a vote to reconsider?
Mr. Smith: Yeah, reconsider.
Mr. Hasan, Mr. Frantom and Mr. M. Williams vote No.
Motion carries 6-3.
Mr. Smith: Okay, Commissioner Sias.
Mr. Sias: Thank you, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem and I appreciate the diligence of my
colleagues. This is a very tough decision. I know we’ve heard from our constituents and we are
talking about the fiscal responsibility of all members of this body. Did we adjourn? I saw the
screen go black and I wondered if we were gone. Okay, well, in the fact that this is a very
serious matter and no one takes it lightly and I appreciate the fact that the Mayor has been candid
with this body and I would expect that to proceed on through 2016. But at least to a certain point
we have an obligation to the folks who, the staff folks and everyone, and I certainly don’t want to
be a feature on national NBC or ABC so I would ask my colleagues to reconsider this item that
we have, give it some thought and let’s approve this motion to pay the shortfall of the Office of
the Mayor $26,245. That’s a motion.
Mr. Fennoy: I second.
Ms. Davis: Call for the vote?
Mr. Smith: We have a motion and a second. Let’s call for the vote so we can move on.
Mr. Hasan and Mr. M. Williams vote No.
Motion carries 7-2.
Mr. Smith: Okay, all right. This meeting is now adjourned.
[MEETING ADJOURNED]
Lena J. Bonner
Clerk of Commission
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CERTIFICATION:
I, Lena J. Bonner, Clerk of Commission hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy
of the minutes of the Called Meeting of the Augusta Richmond County Commission held on
December 1, 2015.
________________________
Clerk of Commission
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