Legal, engineering fees force council to amend budget

By By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
Feb. 5, 2003
An upswing in fees for lawyers and engineering consultants has forced city councilmen to amend the budget.
The Meridian City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to amend the $86 million budget by $85,000 taking money originally budgeted for other departments and transferring it to pay bills associated with legal issues and professional services.
City officials said a number of things caused additional expense, including an extensive legal battle with the town of Marion over water and sewer rates, an annexation fight with Marion and engineering and consultant work associated with several other projects.
Tuesday's budget amendment comes about three months after city councilmen ended a month of debate about this year's spending plan. The city's fiscal year began Oct. 1.
Ward 1 Councilmen George Thomas said he wants to make sure the public knows that the city is not adding to, or decreasing, the budget with the amendment.
The council transferred $76,000 out of other budget lines, but hit an impasse over the last $9,000.
Councilmen rejected a proposed reduction that would have taken $9,000 from Community Development's budget. Councilmen argued that the money, earmarked for the demolition of abandoned buildings, is essential.
Instead, City Council President Mary Perry and Ward 4 Councilman Jesse Palmer Sr. offered a substitute taking $4,500 allocated for each of their salaries.
Both Perry and Palmer, retired school teachers, are not allowed by law to receive their full salaries while drawing retirement from the state. Instead, they are paid 25 percent of their full salary for four years. But each year, the full amount of their salary is figured into the city's budget.