COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) – Money management was top of mind for Columbus City Council at Tuesday’s meeting.
Recent audits have found millions of dollars went uncollected by the city’s finance department primarily from a backlog of business licenses. Tuesday’s discussion of the budget for the fiscal year was centered around operational issues, including staffing for the finance department.
Back in November, an independent audit agency said the biggest risk to progress for the finance department is staffing shortages, councilors and the city manager went back and forth on what staff is needed and why.
There were a few contentious moments at Tuesday’s council meeting, a couple of back and forth over a mid-year budget amendment.
Under the city attorney’s agenda councilors considered funding for staffing multiple city departments…funding that only the council has the authority to make changes to.
“The conversation really became an us against them and it’s not about that, you know, we all serve the citizens of Columbus. It should never be an us against them conversation,” said District 4 city councilor Toyia Tucker.
Tucker says some positions that councilors decided to cut in June 2024 were still on the budget list.
“Looking at the things council has suggested, let’s do things in order…During the budget cycle we removed those positions in particular because we were looking at an audit, the report. It was already a regurgitation of what was already said. It is what it is and we need to move forward.”
She says moving forward means following through with a plan to hire an outsource organization- Carl Vinson Institute of the University of Georgia to help figure out staffing issues.
Mayor Skip Henderson and City Manager Isaiah Hugley say the added position of an assistant director for the Finance Department is needed.
“We’re wearing people out. We’re putting people in a position and then putting them under higher scrutiny. When the staff tells you I’m drowning and I’ve got to have this, in our arguably, I’ve heard council say is our most important department in the city…I think you’ve got to listen to your staff,” said Henderson.
“If the finance department director is telling you what’s needed we need, the city manager is supporting her and telling you what’s needed, but it seems it doesn’t matter what we think,” said Hugley.
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