While it wasn’t on the agenda, the City of Lawrence’s 2024 budget was a topic of discussion during the Sept. 3 Lawrence Common Council meeting.
At a previous council meeting, Lawrence Controller Humphrey Nagila said he would come back to the council Sept. 3 to provide details about this year’s budget, including specifics about deficits that will require budget transfers approved by the council. However, that update was not on the meeting agenda and nobody from the administration provided comments.
Councilor Rick Wells (D-District 2) said the city can’t complete its 2025 budget — which is due by Nov. 1 — until it resolves deficits in the 2024 budget.
“Which is why last week, I contacted Controller Humphrey (Nagila) to exercise my right and my duty as an elected city councilor to inquire into the cost of the recent purchases of the new staff car for the mayor, the remodeling of the mayor’s office and bathroom and as well, to inquire as to why the council has not yet received the mandated monthly finance report,” Wells said. “Not once this year have we seen the mandated monthly finance report as required by city ordinance.”
Wells said he was told that the controller’s office was short-staffed and couldn’t compile the monthly report, and his request for information about the remodeling work was denied. Wells called for an independent audit of city finances, commissioned by the council.
No other council members commented on the budget, but a member of the public did. Daniel Rapp, who frequently shares his thoughts with the council, said he is concerned about the city’s finances and was disappointed that the promised budget presentation was not on the agenda.
“You are now in the last third of the year,” he said. “You’re running out of runway to do something to fix it before the end of the year.”
During the council’s Aug. 5 meeting, Nagila told the council that city expenses had been higher than anticipated. Through June, the city had spent about 64 percent of its appropriated $27.4 million general fund. Expenses should have been closer to 50 percent at that time. The 14 percent in additional spending equals $3.8 million.
However, Nagila said on Aug. 21 that appropriations needed to balance the 2024 budget should be less than $1 million. He did not have exact numbers to share at that time and said he would come back with details on Sept. 3.
In related matters, the council forwarded a resolution to the committee of the whole that would retain municipal advisors Baker Tilly LLC, a certified public accounting firm. The committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at Lawrence Government Center.
The next Lawrence Common Council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at Lawrence Government Center, 9001 E. 59th St. Meetings are livestreamed on the city’s Facebook page, facebook.com/cityoflawrencein; and its YouTube channel, youtube.com/@visitlawrenceindiana.
