Summit officials passed a $1.4 million budget in a split vote last week that followed a night of revisions before reverting to the original draft.
Mayor Percy Robinson called for a motion to adopt the budget in summary, and Councilman Chris Daniels made the motion after some hesitation from the board.
He suggested the council conduct periodic reviews throughout the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
“Are we going to put provisions in place as far as the monthly, quarterly, our review of this spending, expenses and revenue?” Daniels asked before Councilman Joe Lewis suggested the quarterly reviews.
Councilman Julius Nash was the lone opponent to the vote to adopt the budget.
The budget projects $1,491,287 in revenues. Expenses are just short of that, at $1,445,635.
Departmental spending includes $39,654 for court, $333,172 for town hall operations, $536,991 for police, $48,300 for the fire department, $348,517 for the street department and $139,000 for garbage collection.
The budget also includes a $801,800 water and sewer fund whose revenue is made up of the payment of bills and various fees.
The spending plan is being funded by 39.35 mills — a tax rate that hasn’t changed in about a decade. Three mills are being devoted to debt services.
Daniels questioned why neither millage rates or water rates were being raised, fearing that both of those measures would be inevitable and best avoided doing simultaneously.
“Are we going to be looking at our water rates or are we just going to depend solely on what we budgeted and hopefully we won’t end up in a situation where we are in right now?” he said.
Danels also noted that state officials have suggested the town raise its mileage.
Robinson said accountant Hal Holloway helped prepare the budget but did not calculate higher millage rates.
“He needs a little time to do them, so next year, we’re going to do it next year,” Robinson said.
After adopting the budget and tax levy, Nash made a motion to amend the agenda to hire Inframark — the company that maintains McComb’s wastewater treatment plant — to evaluate the town’s water and sewer systems and report back to the board.
Summit has been using Mitchell Technical Services as the operator for the town’s wastewater treatment plant.
Councilman Marcus Pittman had concerns about the move because Town Superintendent Tim Baylor hadn’t been apprised of the proposal.
Baylor asked what the company would be inspecting.
“It’s just an assessment,” Nash said.
“If it’s an assessment, they have to be looking for something, right?” Baylor said.
Pittman opposed the vote on the matter while the rest of the board approved it.
