East Point delays 2010 budget vote after citizen input

By April Hunt

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The East Point City Council appeared to surprise even itself Monday night, delaying a vote on the 2010 budget because of citizens’ questions about the spending plan.

At issue: a 3 percent cost-of-living raise for all employees and a 5 percent raise for police and firefighters. Together, the raises account for $976,750. That is nearly 3 percent of the proposed $36.5 million general fund.

“Certainly, some employees deserve some increases, but I don’t think we can afford that,” said Oliver Huff, who has lived in the city since 1971. “We need a budget that works for the city and also the people that live here.”

The council had been expected to waive the first reading of the preliminary budget, which cuts the general fund by about $10 million from the current year and defers most capital projects until a midyear review in January.

Instead, after listening to nearly 45 minutes of residents expressing doubt about the raises, it voted 6-2 to make Monday’s meeting the first reading. With council members Greg Fann and Patricia Langford dissenting, the vote means the council cannot vote on the spending plan until its next council meeting. Once approved, the budget will be retroactive to July 1.