Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Selma City Council has made several amendments to the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget to help bring the expected expenses and revenues in line with projections of the Mayor’s office.

The amendments included increasing the amount of money that will be drawn from reserves to $2.75 million from $2 million in the council proposed budget.

The Selma Redevelopment Authority Main Street contract will be decreased from $40,000 to $25,000 due to the council not discussing the reason for the increase.

In the landfill account, finance chairman Troy Harvill also asked that $47,500 in interest and $450,000 be added to income. He also suggested adding $45,000 for a loader and add $150,000 in excess funds to cover expected expenditures.

Under debt service, the long-term debt schedule will now reflect the pension warrant of $2.26 million and the sewer bond to $266,775.

All of Harvill’s suggestions were approved with a 6-0 vote, with Harvill, Council President Billy Young, Council Pro Tem Clay Carmichael and Councilwomen Leisa James, Jannie Thomas and Christie Thomas voting “yea” and Councilmen Samuel Randolph, Atkin Jemison and Michael Johnson all not present. Mayor James Perkins Jr. was also not present at the meeting.

Young asked Treasurer Terri Barnes-Smith if she had any concerns about the proposed amendments, and she did not have any objections “at this time” but that she is still reviewing the changes.

Those were the only items that the council took up during its special called meeting Thursday. However, Council President Billy Young anticipates that there will be more adjustments that will need to be made. His goal is to make sure that the Mayor’s Office and the council are on the same page with regard to the spending plan for the budget year, which began Oct. 1.

“After the administration and the council get together, we will have to make additional amendments to make sure that the budget is accurate,” Young said.

Perkins said in a live video Friday that he has given the council three dates to discuss the budget, but he said they have not gotten back with Perkins as of midday Friday.

One of the significant changes that is likely coming is the salary schedule for all employees. Harvill said there are discrepancies between positions the council funded and the mayor’s office requested. After a meeting with Perkins’ staff including Barnes-Smith, Harvill said they will try to reconcile those discrepancies and bring those back to the council.