City’s general fund down $700,000

The city’s general fund will close the books with a $700,000 deficit for the previous year, said Paul Becker, Fayetteville’s finance director, at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.

While he acknowledged the loss in revenue was not good news, Becker had previously projected the general fund would be down $1.2 million for the year. Becker attributed the savings to city staff cutting expenses and extending staff replacement.

“Even though the news is bad, it is better than we had thought,” Becker told the council.

Also at the meeting, the Fayetteville’s transportation services director asked the council to make a budget adjustment for $115,000.

Because Fayetteville has had extreme weather this winter, coupled by prolonged stints of freezing temperatures, the transportation department needs money to refill their supply of materials to keep roads clear, Terry Gulley said.

The money will come out of the street fund balance, Gulley said, and it will be used to replenish the stock of sand, salt and sodium chloride used to prevent roads from becoming slick.

Both measures to make the budget adjustment passed the council with a 7-0 vote.

“I think citizens feel like it’s money well spent,” said Brenda Theil, Ward 1 alderman.

In other business, Ward 2 Alderman Kyle Cook announced the vacancies on various commissions and advisory committees, including the Planning Commission and the Advertising and Promotion Commission.

Anyone interested in those positions should turn in their application by February 26 to the City Clerk’s office.