Jasper Mayor David O’Mary praised the work of city officials while informing city council members of news regarding city finances.
O’Mary said final figures from the city’s operating expenses for Fiscal 2023 show a $5,173,560 surplus.
“That is significant in more ways than I can recount,” O’Mary said.
What makes it so significant, he said, was that it comes after city employees were given the largest pay raise ever given in the city.
“I’m so pleased that we did it, and I’m pleased that we were able to do it,” O’Mary said.
The projected cost of the pay raise was $1,800,000.
“When you look at that number,” O’Mary said, “we absorbed that added expense and operated within $1,000 of what we operated at the previous fiscal year.”
In adding Fiscal 2023 and Fiscal 2022, he said, the city was able to put almost $10.4 million in reserves, and “you ought to be proud of that.”
In the business, council members:
•approved event permits for Tuesday’s Chamber of Commerce of Walker County Christmas parade and Athletic Arts Center’s Nutcracker performance from 4 until 6 p.m. in front of Young’s Jewelers prior to the Christmas parade.
•approved moving the council’s January 2 meeting to January 9 because of the holidays.
•held a public hearing and adopted a resolution to set costs for three properties that previously fell under the city’s nuisance abatement ordinance because of overgrown grass and weeds.
•adopted a resolution to declare an unused city truck as surplus property and unneeded.
•adopted a resolution to amend the Certificate of Incorporation of the Jasper Industrial Development Board to reduce the number of board members from 18 to 12.
•introduced an ordinance to establish a school zone from the intersection of Highland Avenue and Viking Drive to just past the entrance to Jasper High School.
•introduced an ordinance related to vacant buildings in the city.
•heard from O’Mary, who told of visits to the city by Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and grant writer Terry Acuff earlier this week.
