By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

While the layman may experience sticker shock at the fact that the November general fund for the City of Madison stands at a negative $402,057, Finance Officer Karen Guinn said this number is not surprising.

“It is typical to be at a loss as of November,” she said. “The negative $402,057 does not represent our total cash flow.”
It does, in fact, represent the difference money taken in for revenue and expended between July 1 and Nov. 30, 2012, she said.
While Madison’s general fund through November does not look good, according to Guinn, the city should receive money from property taxes in December and January.

“The city receives the majority of its property tax revenue around January,” she said.
During the Madison City Council meeting Jan. 14 Guinn said they are reviewing revenue and expense reports for every fund as well as a sales tax analysis.

The analysis determined that sales taxes revenue is down 5 percent overall in December.
Despite this, Guinn said they still are “on target” for their budget year-to-date.
Guinn added that they will start the budgeting process the end of January by meeting with City Manager David Nunn and city supervisors.

There will be a budgeting workshop in March for Mayor Bruce Gilbert and city council members.
Councilmen accepted a bid from Piedmont Designs for the city’s GATEway project but it was $8,000 to $9,000 above budget, according to City Planning Director Monica Callahan.

She said the company already has turned in a $3,000 savings suggestion.
Nunn said the city will help with the project by installing the water taps. He agreed that they would look for others ways to help.
This project must be completed by April 15, 2013.

Nunn pointed out that the permit from the Georgia Department of Transportation took longer than anticipated.

As to an abstention vote, councilmen voted to no longer have an abstention vote count as a ‘no’ vote. When a councilman abstains from a vote, it will not count either for or against the topic up for a vote.

City Clerk Mellie Thomas later explained that a charter amendment such as required for the change in abstention votes requires two readings and a vote to be taken following each reading.

This motion will be repeated a second time during the council’s Feb. 11 meeting.

In other news:
• Councilmen voted to approve a contract with Georgia Civil to have that company survey, engineer, design, construct and provide administrative services for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
The $500,000 CDBG will be used on the city’s storm water project on Burney, Mapp and Pearl streets in the Canaan neighborhood.
• Councilmen approved a memorandum of understanding with Georgia Main Street.
• Councilmen renewed a lease agreement with Morgan Capital Investments LLC for a parking facility at 150 Hancock St.
Nunn estimated there are between 25 and 30 cars there on a daily basis.
• Councilmen renewed an intergovernmental agreement with the Morgan County Baord of Elections and Registration Office. Thomas noted that it costs about $5,000 for a municipal election.
• Councilmen approved the 2013 qualifying fees, which are set by the state.

Printed in the January 24, 2013 edition.