Officials reflect on 2012: Perry’s Mayor Jimmy Faircloth

jclark@sunmulti.com

The City of Perry overcame budgeting challenges and had

multiple accomplishments during the 2012 calendar year.

“It’s gone well,” said Mayor Jimmy Faircloth.

Faircloth stated that the biggest accomplishment was

balancing the fiscal year 2013 budget.

“We balanced this year’s budget without raising taxes,” he

stated.

Yet, he recalled several discussions that council members

had over the declining revenue and the desire to not raise taxes or lay people

off.

“The No. 1 challenge has been declining revenue sources with

increasing expenses,” stated Faircloth.

He said the council faced that challenge during the budget

discussions this year and managed to balance the budget.

Other accomplishments the mayor listed involved the

relationship between the city and the various agencies in the city.

He also said that the Perry Music Festival, which was in

October, was a hit because it brought a large crowd to the city.

The start of the James E. Worrall Foundation was an accomplishment

for the city.

Some of the major challenges the City of Perry faces in 2013

are a direct result of laws passed by the federal government.

Faircloth cited the Affordable Care Act as a major discussion

point for council.

“That’s going to be a huge challenge,” he said about not

having concrete facts on how the law will affect the city.

He also said that unfunded mandates as a whole would also

affect the city because the city will have to find the money to fund them.

However, with those challenges, Faircloth listed a few

projects, such as the new fire station and the wastewater treatment plant expansion,

that will be complete in the next year.

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