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Letter to the editor

Council earmarks travel money for nonprofit groups

The Seminole budget workshop decision would spare the SPCA, a pageant and athletics.

By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer
Published August 17, 2007

SEMINOLE - Beauty queens, homeless puppies and kids started the evening as losers, but by the time the council was finished looking at the city's budget, all three emerged as winners.

The turnaround came after Seminole council members agreed to cut their travel budget in half and use the money to supply funds to nonprofit organizations that could have lost money under the leaner 2007-08 budget.

The decision reduced the council's proposed travel budget from $40,000 to $20,000 and the mayor's from $9,000 to $4,500.

The decision came during last week's budget workshop. The $17.8-million operating budget will become final after two public hearings, which are scheduled for Sept. 11 and Sept. 25.

"I think we will all agree that we need to cut the (travel) budget," Seminole Mayor Jimmy Johnson said.

Council members did agree that the travel budget needed to be slashed, but two, Tom Barnhorn and Patricia Hartstein, suggested the cut should not be so drastic.

"I look at it as an education budget," Barnhorn said. "To cut it in half, I think would be wrong."

Barnhorn suggested each council member's travel budget be cut by $1,000 and members who go to more seminars and meetings should have the right to "borrow" money from those who do less traveling. Barnhorn, who was elected to the council in March 2006, has spent more on travel than any other sitting member. Since his election, he has spent a total of $7,917 in city funds on travel.

Other council members who have been in office for a longer time have spent less. Since Oct. 1, 2005, Johnson has spent a total of $5,484 on travel; John Counts, $4,034; Hartstein, $3,995; and Dan Hester, $2,979.

Bob Matthews, who was on and off the council during 2006, spent $1,485. And Peter Hofstra, who was appointed to his seat in January, has spent $375.

Hester disagreed with Barnhorn, pointing out that last year the council spent only a little more than half its travel budget. "If we spent 21, why do we need 40?" Hester asked. A majority of the council agreed. Council members will be able to "borrow" travel money from each other.

The SPCA, Miss Seminole Pageant and the Seminole Youth Athletic Association should get the funding they would normally get, Hester said. Because that would not use up the full $20,000, the rest should go into the city's reserves, he said.

Council members also questioned employee salaries and benefits.

Hofstra wondered about providing disability insurance to employees when many of the taxpayers whose money is used to pay for it have to go without.

Hester questioned the way raises are decided. All employees get a cost-of-living increase "just for showing up to work," he said. Then, the employee gets a merit raise. That gives some workers annual raises of 8 percent or 9 percent. Hester suggested going to a merit-based pay system.

"The math is becoming more difficult just to prove 4, 5, or 6 percent salary increases," Hester said. "Sooner or later, you run out of money."

City Manager Frank Edmunds suggested the council wait until 2008 to talk about the way salaries are determined. The city has already scheduled an evaluation of the compensation package. That would be a better time to broach the topic, Edmunds said.

[Last modified August 16, 2007, 23:13:56]