CLAYPOOL – Town council held the second reading of its 2012 budget Monday, but does not yet have a budget to vote on.
During their first look at a $178,000 proposed budget last month, Claypool councilmen asked why it seemed so low. The amount is lower than what the town is operating on this year, and far from the $318,000 they had requested for 2011.
Councilmen learned Monday that the financial books they need – disorganized records the state dinged them for in its last audit – aren't done yet, but are expected this week. Silver Lake Clerk-Treasurer Angie Glass has been reconstructing them over recent months, putting expenditures into the right accounts.
Council had set the budget aside in August, hoping to have the righted books this month and possibly request a higher budget figure from the state. They agreed Monday to postpone the budget hearing until next month.
“We still have incomplete accounting on some items,” council President Don Miller said Monday. “We don't have enough pulled together to complete the budget for 2012.”
Added councilman Larry Neher, “I read the letter from the state. Till the books are done, we can't do anything.”
Also during the meeting, council renewed its contract with Multi-Township EMS at a yearly rate of $2,380; and voted to seek an arborist to assess the health of recently planted trees. Geiger Excavating had planted over 30 saplings along Section Street, but the town fears some of the young trees are already dying.
Some residents said at the meeting they have been tending to the trees in their front yards, and the Claypool fire department used 33,000 gallons watering all the trees last week. But if an arborist finds some trees are beyond hope, the town will file a claim with Geiger, which warrantied the trees.
Miller said the town should contract with an arborist for at least a year, because “now is the critical time to have someone tend to them who knows what he's doing.” Council agreed to hold a special meeting before the Oct. 17 regular meeting to review contract bids.
