No budget discussion in Warner Robins

kriner@sunmulti.com

On Monday, the Warner Robins City Council held a public

hearing on the city’s budget that they themselves have not yet discussed

publicly.

The public hearing hosted only one resident comment.

Warner Robins resident James Boswell told the council he

didn’t have any questions about the budget because he didn’t know what was in

it.

Mayor Chuck Shaheen referred his comment to Chief Financial

Officer Bill Harte. Harte told Boswell the budget has been available to the

public since May in the clerk’s office as well as online. Boswell responded to Harte and told him that he is 82 years

old and doesn’t do the Internet.

At the Monday work session, the council agreed to hold a

special called meeting on Thursday to discuss the budget. A time was not

specified for the Thursday meeting but it was mentioned that it would be around

noon or 1p.m.

In other business, the council voted to purchase a new fire

truck for $456,000.

Asst. Chief Ross Moulton told the council the truck would

replace a 1989 truck that is till being used as a front line truck.

The 2012 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax has $450,000

allotted for the purchase of a fire truck, but bids came in higher than

expected.

Also for the time being the money will be fronted by the

city and taken out of the general fund to pay for the truck. The council agreed

that the 13 percent they will save by paying for the truck upfront is worth it.

Purchasing director Kim Demoonie said that once the city

obtains proof of ownership and the insurance papers on the bank will release

the loan money that council previously approved for this SPLOST item.

Moulton told the council the truck would be in Warner Robins

by Jan 1.

Also at Monday’s meeting Councilman Mike Brashear voiced

what he called “a point of interest.”

Brashear read a statement he had prepared that said, “On

Sunday,2 June, the mayor sent an email to all city employees insinuating that I

was against a pay increase for out city employees. This is an untruth: Council

is continuing to discuss the FY-2014 budget and I have no pre-conceived

position until we complete discussions and vote.”

His comments came after a banter session via email that took

place over the weekend.

Mayor Chuck Shaheen said after Monday’s meeting that

Brashear’s statements are “a political move”.

Brashear announced last week that he is going to run for

mayor in the upcoming election.

Shaheen has not yet said if he plans to run for office

again.

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