When We Stopped the Bleeding and the Value of One “NO” Vote
This discussion appeared in Fort Scott Biz on December 21, 2020, as then finance director Susan Bancroft was leading the effort to further deplete funding for our sewer system infrastructure.
As Bancroft here within states, transfers from the sewer funds had been ongoing since 1980 and accounted for “10-13% of our budget, which conceivably could have drained $12,000,000 from our funds for repairs, maintenance, and replacement of our sewage system, during that time frame, and leaving it in shambles, as evidenced by our current crisis at the plant, and in danger of losing our federal permit to dump treated sewage into the Marmaton River.
The issue was soundly defeated by the voters and since 2020 the transfers have stopped, allowing us to make needed improvements on our plant and distribution system, without any “effects on quality-of-life amenities or public safety concerns”.
Since 2020 we have kept millions of dollars of sewer revenue to be used for what it was collected for.
Bancroft further stated:
“The Fort Scott City Commission is discussing a charter ordinance that will be voted on in a special election on Jan. 5, 2021”.
“Early in the year, Commissioner Pete Allen pointed out that past administrations had been illegally making transfers to the General Fund based on City Ordinance 2842 adopted in 1982,” Bancroft said.
“Bancroft followed up during a regular commission meeting agreeing that the local ordinance essentially states all funds ‘shall’ stay in the sewer fund. (shall means must). Research done also showed that transfers from the sewer fund to the general fund had been made dating back to 1980 according to audited financial statements, she said”.
“During the August 18, 2020 commission meeting, the commission voted 4-1 to approve Charter Ordinance 31 which would allow for transfers to other funds,” Bancroft said. “A petition was filed on October 5th with the County Clerk to call an election so that the voters can decide whether the ordinance shall take effect. The commission had 30 days (November 5th) to decide whether to have an election or rescind the ordinance. The commission chose to move forward with the election. The election is required to be held within 90 days of October 5th and is scheduled for January 5, 2021.”
Bancroft went on to state:
“No transfers are scheduled in the sewer fund for 2020 or 2021 with the budget changes presented to the commission on October 20, 2020. These changes required a 10-13% reduction in the general fund budget across all departments which results in $300,000 less to operate”.
“The budget is tight, and any emergency or annual inflation costs could affect quality of life amenities or public safety services”.
My comments:
- For the past four years I have been calling for water and sewer master plans, only to be told “we are working on it”. It is time!
- In 2020 the commission was wrong, as well as finance director.
- One “no” vote righted a wrong and has started a movement toward infrastructure improvements in Fort Scott.
Pete Allen