Following a budget question and answer session earlier in the day, the Selma City Council votes Monday evening to hold off on approving Selma Mayor Dario Melton’s budget for the new fiscal year, which began Oct. 1.

Shortly after the meeting was called to order, Selma City Councilwoman Susan Youngblood voiced her concerns regarding the budget.

“I just have a lot of lingering questions,” Youngblood said. “I can’t give you an articulate reason why…I just feel there’s just a general feeling of confusion.”

Youngblood noted that she had questions for City of Selma Planning and Development Director Henry Thompson regarding community development.

Youngblood motioned for the council to continue using last year’s budget until a new budget could be drafted and approved.

As the discussion continued, Selma City Councilman Sam Randolph took exception with a budget he said is “unsatisfactory to our constituents.”

Randolph specifically took issue with the fact that the budget eliminates the position of Administrative Assistant in the City of Selma Recreation Department, a post previously held by Carneetie Ellison.

Randolph noted that Ellison currently has multiple complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against City of Selma Recreation Department Director Sean VanDiver and removing her position from the budget sends the wrong signal.

“We’re setting ourselves up for failure,” Randolph said.

Selma City Councilwoman Angela Benjamin concurred with the sentiment that the council needed more time to address the “tremendous” amount of recommendations made to the council regarding the budget and Selma City Councilwoman Miah Jackson recommenced that the council adopt a timeline for approving the budget.

“We have a lot to comb through,” Benjamin said. “It’s a lot.”

Jackson recommenced that the council stick with last year’s budget until Dec. 10, holding weekly meetings to discuss the budget, which would go into effect Jan. 1.

Selma City Councilman John Leashore voted against the motion and Selma City Councilman Michael Johnson abstained – the rest of the council voted to continue following last year’s budget until a new one is approved.

The council also took up a handful of contracts brought forth by Johnson, who stated that City Attorney Woodruff Jones instructed him to bring the items before the council.

At first there was a motion to approve the contracts pending verification of the required documents, such as insurance, licenses and permits, but the council went back and forth about the necessity and the history revolving around such approval.

“This should have been going on all the time,” Jackson said of inspecting contractors for the required documentation. “All contracts are supposed to be approved by the council.”

In the end, Jackson abstained on a vote to approve the contracts while the rest of the council voted in fav or of the motion.

The council also approved a film permit for a company that was on hand for Selma High School’s homecoming festivities and briefly mulled increasing the cost of film permits, which currently cost $250.