Local News
‘We’ll get this $3 million back’
Lawson gives ‘State of City,’ focuses on finances
Richmond Mayor Connie Lawson began her state of the city address Thursday night by tackling the one issue that has been a year-long topic — the city’s financial status.
“A year-and-a-half to two years ago, something just happened,” Lawson said. “Jobs went away and the revenue started leaving, and everybody started trying to pick up the pieces. We, as every other city, faced that challenge. I’m not tacking the blame to anyone, but I will say that in 2008-2009 I feel we will have probably lost about $3 million. We’ll get this $3 million back. It won’t come overnight, but we are going to get it.”
Several factors went into the city’s deficit, she said, citing the January 2009 ice storm, the May 2009 tornado and approximately 50 inches of rain during the summer.
“Of course the golf course and pool (revenue) was down,” she said. “We recognize where the deficits have come from. We won’t know everything for sure until the final audit. I’ve been in touch with the auditors, and I believe we will get our final report the second week in February.
“I’m prepared for this audit more than any audit we’ve ever had.”
Lawson touched on the possibility of layoffs and furloughs for city employees during her address.
“I don’t think our employees are overpaid,” Lawson said. “We do have a few positions that we may have to eliminate. I fully expect that we’ll have to do some furloughing.”
Lawson said she had been approached by city employees who would rather take furlough days to save their jobs.
When it comes to searching for more city revenue, Lawson said she has taken it upon herself to make sure all city net-profit taxes are being collected.
“We are going to find revenue we did not realize was there,” she said.
Other cost-saving measures Lawson mentioned included the city’s recent merge with the county/Berea E-911 dispatching system; the creation of the city’s new finance committee that reviews expenditures and revenues on a regular basis; implementing a slight increase in fees for the Gibson Bay Golf Course and the Paradise Cove Aquatic Center; and many others.
Earlier this year, each city department was asked to reduce costs as much as possible, and doing this already is saving the city about $125,000 a month, Lawson said.
Lawson also mentioned the financial benefits that could come from combining the city and county tourism efforts with the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, and touched on virtually all city departments and “the good work they do,” giving praise to all those in the city’s police and fire departments, GIS, codes enforcement, planning and zoning, tourism and parks and recreation.
Lawson’s state of the city address, which was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Berea and Madison County, can be viewed in its entirety on Richmond’s public access Channel 12, Jan. 29 through Feb. 4, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.
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