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BEACON PHOTO/PAT HATFIELD
Gonzalez resigns — Here, DeBary Acting City Manager Anthony Gonzalez tours exhibits at DeBary Night Out Aug. 4. He submitted a letter of resignation to the city Aug. 21.
BEACON PHOTO/PAT HATFIELD
Talking budget — DeBary Parks and Recreation Director John Fletcher, left, and City Financial Administrator James Seelbinder talk budget with City Council members during a budget workshop Aug. 17. They will reconvene Wednesday, Aug. 26, for another workshop session on the budget.
• Special City Council meeting 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, on resignation • City Council budget workshop 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26
By Pat Hatfield
posted Aug 21, 2009 - 4:24:58pm
In the wake of criticism from a City Council member and the selection of another candidate, Kenneth Weaver, for the city-manager job in DeBary (see related story), Assistant City Manager Anthony Gonzalez submitted his resignation Aug. 21.
Gonzalez, who has been assistant city manager since 2005, has been acting city manager since the council fired Maryann Courson in April.
His letter gave no reason for his resignation. Gonzalez gave 30 days' notice, as required, making his last day of employment Sept. 18.
At an Aug. 17 budget workshop, Council Member Van Conoley suggested eliminating the assistant-city-manager job.
At an Aug. 19 City Council meeting, Conoley questioned Financial Administrator James Seelbinder and Gonzalez about why the audit for fiscal year 2008-09 wasn't ready. Conoley said he'd called the audit firm of Brent Millikan and Co. of New Smyrna Beach about it, and was told it wasn't done. The auditors were still waiting for information to complete the audit.
Conoley said the council should have the audit before preparing the new budget. He told Gonzalez, who was in the running for the post of city manager, it was the city manager's responsibility to ensure it is done in a timely manner.
Conoley asked Gonzalez if that was understood; Gonzalez replied it was.
Seelbinder said he'd been working on the city's accounting, and had brought in some temporary help to expedite the work, which Gonzalez had approved.
State statutes require yearly audits of the city's books be completed no later than Sept. 30.
Later that evening, the council picked Weaver for the city-manager job.
Aug. 21, Seelbinder told The Beacon he was getting the last items together, and Brent Millikan and Co. was planning to come back Monday, Aug. 24, to complete the audit they had already begun.
Seelbinder said a forensic audit the City Council requested is also almost complete, and he expected a draft report from the accounting firm of Berkowitz Dick Pollack & Brant of Miami the week of Aug. 24. The City Council requested the special audit to clear the books, with one city manager gone and a new one to come in.
Grappling with finances continues
DeBary, like other cities, is facing the result of falling property values.
With a tentative operating budget already 35.5 percent less than last year's, the DeBary City Council will tackle a $600,000 budget shortfall at a 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, workshop.
City Council members believe the city is in overall good financial shape. They're proud they once again held the line on the city's ad valorem or property-tax millage rate, which will remain at 2.5728.
The difference between that and the rollback rate of 2.9004, the most the city could charge, is $600,000 — the amount of the shortfall.
The general consensus seems to favor tapping the city's $3.5 million reserves for no more than a third of the $600,000 shortfall, and finding cuts for the $400,000 remainder.
Reserves are used as savings, to be used for emergency situations. In 2004, the city had $5 million in reserves. Then, cleanup and emergency operations in the wake of the trio of devastating hurricanes devoured most of it, as the city waited for FEMA reimbursements and disaster assistance.
The city has been rebuilding its reserves since then.
On Aug. 17, council members reviewed a budget in which Financial Administrator James Seelbinder had whittled the 2009-10 operating budget down to $12.4 million. That's nearly $7 million less than the 2008-09 adopted budget, already a 35.5-percent decrease.
Aug. 17, council members discussed holding the line on city-attorney expenses. Seelbinder had estimated $227,000 for legal expenses in 2009-10, anticipating higher litigation expenses.
City Council Member Jack Lenzen said, "That's something we can cut," and suggested going back to the 2008-09 number of $126,000.
Mayor Bob Garcia said contracting a flat dollar amount for legal services in the future is a possibility he has discussed with City Attorney Kurt Ardaman.
The council members agreed they want to proceed with improvements to Rob Sullivan Park. Parks and Recreation Director John Fletcher has already secured a state recreational grant for $112,500, and believes the city can get an ECHO grant for $460,000. The city would have to pay $9,600 out of pocket for improvements to the fields, facilities, and new parking areas.
Council Member Van Conoley suggested cutting Parks and Recreation's $702,252 budget by 20 percent, bringing it down to $561,600. His fellow council members were reluctant to do that.
Lenzen said he couldn't see putting all the budget cuts "on the back of Parks and Recreation." He suggested a 5-percent cut there, and across the board.
One part-time Parks and Recreation worker will likely be cut.
Conoley suggested having DeBary's 18 city employees pay 30 percent of their health-insurance costs, now covered by the city, and a 7.5-percent pay cut for them.
His fellow council members said they're reluctant to do that.
Vice Mayor Norm Erickson said such a reduction would cut morale, and doesn't think the cut would be needed. He suggested a 1-percent pay increase.
Council Member Lenny Marks agreed.
The budget discussion will continue at the 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, meeting, at City Hall, at 16 Colomba Road.
Reader Comments
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What we have here are a bunch of dopes masquerading as Councilmen. I say we get rid of all Councilmen in the next election, and get some Councilmen that will work with Mayor Bob Garcia to improve DeBary!
Now watch as they pickoff the rest of City staff and replace them with hand picked people that will cater to the "loud minority" that Fulton talked about.
We should have taken taxes to the rolled up rate so the City could function normally. Wait till next year when the police contract is talked about. Can you say protected and served by Orange City?
IE The Church fire which the LT-Batallion(LOL)from OCFD dropped the ball.
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