Councilman Harper reminds Administration

Councilman Mitch Harper. Photo from the Fort Wayne Observed website.

During the final minutes of last Tuesday’s City Council Regular Session, Councilman Mitch Harper reminded the Administration that it had been a couple of months since the Council passed legislation mandating the release of monthly financial statements.  The City Council, by law, has to approve any expenditures over $100,000 and is also responsbile for the financial well-being of the City of Fort Wayne.  Several times, the Council has discussed having to approve expenditures without the knowledge of the City’s current financial status.


In last Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman Harper reminded the Administration of the legislation and stated:

[…] We expect to see it soon, or I think the Council wil take a more restrained view in the way it looks at the funding requests from the Administration…

He finished by talking about the current economic conditions and in particular decreased revenue streams and the challenge this poses for government.

httpsv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0gSX6SgO5s

 

I received a response from Deputy Mayor Greg Purcell about the monthly financial statements, read it here.

 

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Related Images:

Councilman Mitch Harper YLNI the Vote: Mitch Harper Tom Smith, Mitch Harper and Dawn Fort Wayne City Councilman Mitch Harper and Indiana State Senator David Long Indiana State Senator David Long and Mitch Harper 2009/01/20: President Barack Obama cookie 2009/01/20: Councilman Mitch Harper with an Obama 'Hope' cake 2009/01/20: Councilman Mitch Harper with an Obama 'Hope' cake 2009/05/13: Councilman Mitch Harper and City Forester Chad Tinkel Charlie White, Pam Holocher and Councilman Mitch Harper 2009/11/11: Councilman Mitch Harper and Geoff Paddock 2009/01/05: Councilmen Marty Bender and Mitch Harper 2011/01/04: John Shoaff and Mitch Harper Dr. Tom Hayhurst, Dick Merren and Mitch Harper

2 COMMENTS

  1. Heck ya it is a good idea for the Administration to be provided with monthly financial outlook. You wouldn’t (or maybe I should say shouldn’t) make financial decisions with your own finances with out having the whole, up-to-date picture – why should the City Council have to do that?

  2. Hi Andy,

    I agree with you 100%! I could perhaps understand not getting such statements when things were going well, budget wise. However, with things the way they are right now, they should be getting those updates at least monthly.

    The sticking point, at least what the Administration had put out, was that it would take time – that staff doesn’t have time – to produce the reports. I don’t know the validity of that feeling because it would seem to me that outside of some initial set up, it should be a report that could be run with a computer command. I don’t think this has been adequately explained.

    Mitch is also right, however, that we Citizens have a right to now on a periodic basis as well.

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