slideshow

The City of Aberdeen will unveil its fiscal year 2010 budget to the public next week (Tuesday, September 8). What does this budget mean for Aberdeen and its citizens? This is probably the most important budget the city has ever implemented.With the nation in economic turmoil, the City of Aberdeen is feeling the sting of the recession — in a major way.I’m not certain what percent Jimmy Clark’s car dealership contributed to the sales tax base, but I do know Aberdeen’s sales tax revenue was down 50 percent from June 2008 until June 2009. This is the reality of the restructuring of the auto industry.Another fact to consider is according to Mayor Jim Ballard, the city is over budget for the year almost $250,000 — that’s a quarter of a million dollars, folks. It is not some made up number floating in the air — it is a very real figure. This means the city owes itself $250,000. How do you come back from this?There are only two choices — you cut departments or you raise taxes.Raising taxes on the citizens of Aberdeen at this point would be ridiculous — the property resale value on most homes in Aberdeen is plummeting, so why expect the citizens to pay more money on something that’s diminished in value. Plus, only approximately 48 percent of the people in Aberdeen are landowners and pay property taxes — why place more of a burden on them? They are already funding a majority of the city’s departments and programs.

So, that leaves cuts in departments and personnel as the only option. Oh, before we get into that, the previous administration of the city borrowed money from itself and did not pay it back, so the city was already facing a deficit when it prepared the 09 budget — and this was before the economy collapsed. So, they robbed Peter, Paul, Ringo, John and Judas to make the 09 budget.

Anyway…

Do you cut the police and fire departments? These are your first responders — these are the people who going to be the one’s to possibly save lives. Plus, the police department is already short five officers according to Police Chief Henry Randle. How you can trim a department that’s already in crisis? You can’t, I don’t think.People have to have water and electricity, so that’s out of the question. Plus, the electric department’s budget was passed in July.The city’s sanitation and cemetery departments are horrible and a huge joke — there’s not much left to cut there, anyway.The street department may see some cuts due to the fact that some of the aldermen are gunning for department head Lee Cooper, but I’m not certain what there is to trim.Oh, and then there’s the park and recreation department, but you aren’t allowed to EVER make criticisms or suggestions about that department because if you so do, you are automatically a racist and “don’t care about the kids.”I fully expect this department to receive full funding and a possible budget increase. Maybe the kids, and the adults that according to the Mississippi Department of Education abused the controversial and coveted summer programs, could be hired to fill in some of the vacant spots in the city? So, where does Aberdeen make the cuts or will it matter? I predict the city will be bankrupt by mid-2010. We shall see.

Courtesy Photo

slideshow

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann made some interesting points regarding voter fraud in Mississippi and his office’s push for voter ID during his visit to North Monroe County recently.Hosemann is stumping hard to get 90,000 signatures on a petition to take the matter to the voters so they can decide if the state should require its voters to show identification at the polls. For those interested in the petition, it can be found here.The issue has been a hot topic for quite some time and Hosemann stated there was going to be another big push in the coming weeks for a voter ID program.Opponents of the program said showing an ID was along the lines of a poll tax or reminiscent of Jim Crow laws — it was something that would get in the way of people voting. How requiring someone to show identification before they are allowed to vote is racial profiling escapes me. It seems, in all logical and rational lines of thinking, to create an even playing field.The measure was presented through the state legislature earlier this year and was voted down in the senate, one vote short of the votes needed for a two-thirds majority, according to the Commercial Appeal.I blame this on the Mississippi House — the bill not only provided for voter identification requirements but a majority of the bill was consumed with allowing voters to vote 14 days early in elections. Many, myself included, view an earlier voting schedule as a proverbial recipe for disaster. Ah, there’s the Shakespearean rub — the House loaded the bill with ridiculous provisions to keep it from ever getting passed.As long as we continue on without voter identification, dead people, empty lots, people who have moved and people from the wrong wards will still be allowed to vote — sometimes twice in Aberdeen!What do you think about voter ID?

Overview of HB-1533 with link to full bill

Overview of SB-2548 with link to full bill

Crossing The BridgeWhile I am sad to see Glen Howell leaving his longtime position with the City of Aberdeen, I am, well, happy to see him appointed as the new city clerk in Amory. I have known Glen for a long time — I’m just glad he still talks to me after he chaperoned a youth church trip of which I was a member. Suffice it to say, we were, hmmmm, a bit rowdy. Glen’s a good guy. And although I’m sure he has his own reasons for leaving Aberdeen, it will be nice for him to not have to worry about how he’s going to put a Band-Aid on the city’s money wound another week.Picking and GrinningIt seems that every week at the Aberdeen board meeting, two of the same things are repeated ad nauseum: garbage pick-up and cutting the grass. I understand the budget crunch, but dang, can’t you keep enough people on the sanitation department’s payroll to ensure the garbage is picked up on its regularly scheduled basis? Why is the garbage not being properly collected? Maybe you the city can form another committee or task force to look into it. Sorry — that last phrase made me laugh a little bit in my head. And I have a feeling that the majority of the property owners adjudicated for property clean-ups are going to fall back onto the city, and since the city doesn’t have any money — well, you get the point.To Bond, Or Not To BondElected officials are elected to make the tough decisions and the Aberdeen Board of Aldermen recently unified to make a tough decision: issuing $1.5 million in bonds for street repairs. I give the board a standing ovation for not being divided on something of this magnitude. Do I agree with this? Well, I never agree with raising taxes, especially in a recession or depression or the end of days or whatever, but unfortunately, it happens — it’s how revenue is created during tough times. The federal government does it all the time. (And by the way, if you think all this ridiculous stimulus money is free money that’s growing on trees, the American taxpayer will be taxed heavily for this and you can quote me when it happens.) Anyway, the streets in Aberdeen are in terrible shape and badly need repairing. I asked a friend of mine who owns a lot of property in Aberdeen what his opinion was on the bond/tax increase. He said the following: “I own a lot of property in Aberdeen and it will definitely affect me. But what are we supposed to do — just let the whole town fall apart and look terrible? We will never get anything if we don’t make it look better. I love Aberdeen and I’m not giving up on this town. It’s just a sacrifice I’m going to have to make.” It makes sense to me. Jeff Clark is a reporter for the Monroe Journal. He can be reached at jeff.clark@monroe360.com

slideshow

I was glad to see former Aberdeen Middle School principal Chester Leigh rolling up his sleeves and getting to work as the district’s new superintendent.Leigh is one of the more popular educators in Aberdeen and his presence should go a long way in rebuilding the school district’s relationship with the community. I applaud the school board for appointing Leigh to the position. He has my full support as Aberdeen’s top educator.But, Leigh has his work cut out for him, as did his predecessors Dr. George Gilreath and Dr. Lavon Fluker-Reed. For nothing can tarnish and jade a quality educator and administrator  more than the Aberdeen School Board.Even in his first meeting, Leigh and his assistant administrator Willie Mae Johnson met resistance from board president Michael Jackson and some of his cronies.Jackson is toxic to the Aberdeen School Board and the students it serves. He is going to be a major obstacle for Leigh to overcome. Jackson and his main ally Coach Royce Stephens are almost certain to halt any type of major productivity Leigh tries to implement in the district. You could see them crushing Leigh’s creativity and good ideas to death yesterday.Jackson is a man who will not salute the flag of his country nor say the pledge of allegiance and I’m OK with that — it his constitutional right to do so. Do I think it sets a bad example for school children? Absolutely. But as long as men and women continue to die for the flag and all that it stands for, it’s Jackson’s right not to participate.This is also a person who defies everything. Yesterday was the day the board decided to have its new picture made with Leigh and new board member Thomas Pierce. What did Jackson decide to wear? He wore shorts and sandals. He can play it off as if he didn’t know about the photo, but since it was on the top of the agenda, how could he not know? Unless he cares so little he doesn’t even read the agenda ahead of time…Chester Leigh can be a great leader. He’s a kind, compassionate man who cares for the kids of Aberdeen. But he’s going to have to be able to go “toe-to-toe” with Jackson and his attitude.And to Jackson’s supporters, you can’t make this opposition to the board president about race — for the first time in a long time you can’t turn the support of the superintendent into an old-fashioned game of racial prejudice.

Jeff Clark can be reached @ jeff.clark@monroe360.com

Follow us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/monroe360