Albany officials answer budget questions during public hearing

ALBANY — Businessman Chad Warbington may have lost his bid to oust City Commissioner Roger Marietta in the Ward IV municipal election last year, but Warbington appeared very commission-like in an appearance before the board Tuesday morning.

During a public forum that was part of a called business meeting, Warbington, fellow businessman Johnnie Williams and political activist William Wright signed up to address the board concerning its proposed Fiscal Year 2017 budget. That document, presented to the commission last month by City Manager Sharon Subadan, came in at $274,006,307.

Warbington’s presentation included concerns over the projected $2.6 million operating loss of the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport, the $2.2 million operating loss of the Albany Civic Center and the 10.7 percent transfer of revenue from the Albany Utility Board to the city’s general fund, a total that Warbington said would reach $17,734,040.

“Not too long ago, the utility authority was transferring 7 percent of revenue to the city,” Warbington, who resigned his seat on the Utility Board to run for the City Commission, said. “Now you’re looking at an almost 11 percent transfer. My question, as a businessman, is where does this stop? Where is the accountability?

“It should be clear on my electric bill that, if I am paying $100, $10 is going directly to the city. And I also have to wonder if the budget comes up short in 2017, will the transfer rise to 12 percent?”

Warbington’s figures showing losses at the Civic Center sparked debate among commissioners.

“With everything we do, we have to weigh the costs against the benefits,” Ward V Commissioner Bob Langstaff said.

Ward II’s Bobby Coleman used Warbington’s figures to call for use of employees at the facility only when they are needed, sparking a heated exchange with Ward III’s B.J. Fletcher.

“The Civic Center is supposed to be paid for. Where is that money going?” Coleman asked. “What are we doing at the Civic Center that costs that kind of money?”

When Coleman suggested using staff at the facility only when events were planned there, Fletcher responded, “I believe we discussed this a couple of weeks ago, and a couple of commissioners said they were against using temporary employees,” Fletcher said of a discussion led by Coleman and Ward VI Commissioner Tommie Postell against contracting with a temporary labor service.

“I’m one of them,” Coleman said.

“Well, I’m glad to see you’ve changed your mind about temporary employees,” Fletcher said.

Coleman replied: “Why shouldn’t our citizens get full-time jobs (instead of using temporary employees)? This is not our money, it’s taxpayer money.”

Ward I Commissioner Jon Howard asked Police Chief Michael Persley about the department’s manpower shortage, and Persley said he has 51 fewer officers on staff than the 213 allotted him in the budget. But he said policy would allow him to fill only 30 of those slots with new recruits.

“I’m deeply concerned that certain areas of our community are unsafe,” Howard said.

Persley said he is working to fill vacancies, noting that six officers were sworn in Monday, but he cautioned that he wanted to bring on the right kind of officers.

“I want to stress that we are a guardian organization, not a warrior organization,” the chief said.

Asked about ongoing plans to fight blight in the community, Chief Code Enforcement Officer Robert Carter said increased funding will allow his department to have a greater impact on removing dilapidated structures.

“We have well over 100 structures on our demolition list now, and 11 of them are scheduled to come down at the end of this month,” Carter said.

City Attorney Nathan Davis said the addition of a staff member dedicated to blight eradication will speed up the process of moving action through the court system.

“We’re averaging seven or eight cases a month now,” Davis said. “We should be able to double that.”

Johnnie Williams, co-owner of the family Rabbitman Footwear business, asked the city to put some funds into renovations he’s sought for the city-owned skate park adjacent to his business.

Wright complained that the city was not seeing adequate return on its investment.

“In one year, the city, county and School Board spent $600 million,” Wright said. “And since James Taylor left the city manager’s office, this city has spent $1.1 billion. We’re seeing about 44 cents of those dollars spent in Albany. That’s not a good return on investment.”

Fletcher asked Wright for patience.

“We are getting return on investment,” she said. “We’ve got things in place that are going to allow us to have a bright future. I ask for your patience because this is not going to happen overnight. Rome wasn’t built in a day. But it’s coming.”

Before adjourning the called meeting for a work session, the commission also approved some $660,000 in Federal Aviation Administration grants that will be used for repair work and striping at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport.

During the work session, the board gave preliminary approval to its joint comprehensive plan with the Dougherty County Commission and approved disbursement of Community Housing Development Organization and HOME funds for organizations in the community.

Among the groups approved were Jubilee Financial Services, which is seeking up to $45,000 for refurbishing a dwelling at 821 Mercer Ave. and up to $41,000 for a structure at Jefferies Ave.; New Vision Community Group, which is seeking up to $47,000 to rehab a structure at 423 Robinson St.; R&M Marketplace, which is seeking up to $91,000 to build a new single-family home at 1003 Holland Drive, and the Oaks at North Intown, which is seeking up to $28,000 for rehab work on a structure at 805 N. Davis St.