The Selma City Council approved a $21.3 million budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.
At a special meeting on Sept. 29, the council approved a budget that they had hashed out with Selma Mayor Johnny Moss III at three previous meetings. The budget, approved two days before the Oct. 1 deadline, includes $11.1 million in personnel expenses and a $95,000 reserve.
Moss called the reserve, which is 0.004% of the $21,266,489 budget, “a small cushion.”
Balancing the budget required reducing the number of unfilled but funded positions for police officers and fire fighters. Moss and the council agreed to fund the number of unfilled positions that they thought could be reasonably filled in a year rather than all the positions that are open.
Moss told the council he trimmed line items not related to personnel by 2%, and he removed a $130,000 lease for a grinder for the landfill. He said he hoped the city could find a way to get the grinder eventually because it would help put more waste into the existing landfill, which is running out of room.
The city council also approved a new organizational structure for the city. Moss introduced the reorganization in August.
The new organizational chart has eight departments that report directly to the mayor. Several departments formally led by directors are now included under a larger department.
The proposed organizational chart calls for departments of finance and administration, public works and infrastructure services, planning and community development, human resources, information technology, police department (chief), fire department (chief), and city clerk.
The current cemetery (removal of director), landfill, code enforcement (to be renamed neighborhood improvement) and public buildings departments are under the new public works department. Parks and recreation are under the planning and community development department, and tax and license are under the finance department.
The city will take applications for five newly created departments after the new fiscal year starts Oct. 1.
The city council, not the mayor, hires the police chief, the fire chief, the treasurer and the city clerk.
Councilwoman Nadine Sturdivant voted against the reorganization, and Councilwoman Jannie Thomas abstained.
The reorganization required the council to approve several resolutions that updated city policies. For instance, the position of cemetery supervisor was amended in city policies because that position is now a manager under the public works department.
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