By Lee Weyhrich
CLAY — It looks like money will be tight for Clay’s 2014-2015 fiscal year, City Manager Ronnie Dixon said Monday while going over an early draft of next year’s budget.
As Dixon has been saying since the property tax was first proposed, Clay can only continue with what it’s doing without more money, which means a slower road to being able to move forward with any new projects. Dixon shared what he had so far with the Clay City Council on Monday, and asked for any suggestions on items that could be cut.
Items that will likely be cut include the Clay Newsletter, which costs the city $12,000 per year; the supplies budget, which would be cut from $50,000 to $20,000; and the utility budget, which he hopes to cut by being more economical with power usage. Changes may also need to be made at Clay Public Library, beginning with the way the library buys DVDs at full retail price and lends them for free.
Even with the cuts, he said, in order to just complete scheduled projects there will be no money left for the contingency fund, the capital fund or the road fund.
Another major problem for Clay this year has been a record number of weed issues. The council filed resolution for weed abatement for 10 properties. Three of the properties have been the target of multiple previous abatements. Part of the problem is that in the case of foreclosed properties, the abatement process can take as long as 180 days, Dixon said. City Attorney Alan Summers will look into ways of speeding up the process.
The walking track at Cosby Lake Park is growing in popularity. Pinson Valley High School recently asked permission to make the track its “home field” cross country track. The location proved so popular at a recent meet that the Jefferson County Board of Education asked the city for permission to hold the Jefferson County Tournament there, too. Ten schools will compete at the track in October.
