Stanfield conducts budget workshop

By Tiffany Thompson, Staff Writer

Sunday, May 4, 2008 May 05, 2008 08:28 am

— Stanfield Mayor Kevin Barbee held a budget workshop during the town council meeting Thursday night.
The workshop was used to demonstrate the need for conservative spending as well as to find a starting point in establishing the 2008-2009 budget.
“We should be proud as a council for the work we’ve done with past budgets. We’ve worked in a responsible manner and people don’t realize what we’ve accomplished,” Barbee said.
The council was presented with a line-item list of revenue and expenditures for each department, as well as requests for the next year.
Barbee then created a worksheet of how the 2007-2008 budget compared with the projected budget for next year.
In all, the town would need approximately an additional $121,000 to be able to include all departmental requests.
“If we look at the long term, people sitting at this table in the future will be able to do things that we aren’t able to do,” Barbee said.
“But if we look at the short term we should be proud that we have been able to operate within the black.”
Among other obstacles the council would have to overcome in preparing the budget is the need for cost of living raises for town employees, as well as increases in fuel costs and surcharges.
After further discussion, the council voted to allow Barbee and Leigh Summerour, town clerk, to begin establishing the bare necessities for the budget.
The council will then reconvene on May 15 at 7 p.m. to continue working on the budget.
Also during the meeting:
• Councilman Richard Keable informed the council that the audit was almost completed.
• Councilman Phil Love presented the council with five basic rules for use of the Barn Park. The rules consist of no climbing on the structure, no nails or staples in the building, no open fires, keep the area clean and leave it as it was before use.
• Love also said a permission request was to be completed before individuals can use the park for special events. The request can be picked up at and submitted to Town Hall.
Possible events planned for the park include a music series and farmer’s market.
• “With this stimulus package we’re supposed to receive, (President) Bush wants us to spend it. If we buy something in the stores, though, we’re giving our money to China. If we buy gas, we’re giving it to Iraq and if we buy a car we’re giving it to Japan. The only way we’re going to keep our money here is if we shop at yard sales,” Councilman Jerry Williams said, in regards to the cost of living and gas price increases.

Contact Tiffany Thompson at (704) 982-2121 ext. 24 or snaponline24@carolina.rr.com.