CAMDENTON, Mo. — Earlier this year, Camdenton City Administrator J. Jeff Hancock invited City staff and department directors to create a “wish list” to help the City and Board of Alderman establish a budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. On June 30, the Board of Alderman listened to City employees elaborate upon those lists as a first step in evaluating needs and setting priorities. By reviewing the City’s needs as identified by City staff and planning for the City’s future through the Destination Camdenton process, Hancock believes Camdenton will be better able to evaluate and define budget policy.
At several points during the nearly three-hour meeting, Hancock praised the Board for being conservative in previous years. Their work has put the City in a good financial position, he said, but meeting current needs as revealed by Department Directors will be expensive. Requests totaled $1.02 million.
Aldermen made few comments while staff and directors explained their proposed budgets. As the meeting closed, however, Board members acknowledged how helpful the hours had been for them. Alderwoman Gerry Rector, Ward I, said she “loved” the presentations. They gave her greater insight for upcoming August meetings when the 2015-2016 budget will be discussed and set. Other Aldermen echoed Rector’s remarks.
Hancock thanked Department Directors for their contributions in providing a comprehensive overview of the City’s needs. He noted an added benefit of the time spent Monday evening is that each department became aware of the needs other departments have. He believes that openly sharing the City’s economic condition, preliminary revenue estimates, and the City’s needs department by department will help the City plan a budget that will serve beyond the next fiscal year.
