The fund balance for the City of Jackson is not where it was in 2013, but Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist does not see reason for alarm.
“The (fiscal) health of the city is good, but our fund balance is not what it was three years ago” Gist said. “We’ve had to use (the) fund balance, and we’ve had a fairly healthy fund balance, but it’s kind of hard to ask for new revenue when you have a fund balance of $26 million.
“People just do not understand, so we went ahead and pulled some of that in order to adequately operate the city. (Fund) has decreased, but we’re still fairly strong as far as our fund balance is concerned.”
Gist made his comments after the Jackson City Council held its February meeting at City Hall Tuesday.
Mike Hewitt, a certified public accountant with Alexander Thompson Arnold, presented the council with an audit of fiscal year 2016.
The audit concluded the fund balance has decreased in the general fund from $23.88 million in 2013, to $18.74 million in 2016. Only $14.72 million is considered unassigned or available for any use.
- The City Council also passed a motion which rezoned property located at 1694 Hollywood Drive from general residential to office residential.
- The council voted unanimously to amend to the text of the City Zoning Ordinance Article IV, Section 23, Landscaping Requirements.
- Members also voted to award a contract to Morgan Thornburg for boiler/chiller maintenance, while voting unanimously to award a contract to Bubba Johnson Sand and Gravel for fill dirt and fill sand, and a contract to West Tennessee Coffee for coffee and related products.
- Six board appointments also gained a unanimous vote. The appointments were Nell Huntspon, who was reappointed to the Jackson Downtown Revenue Finance committee; Richard Beach (reappointed), Ned McWherter West Tennessee Cultural Arts Center; Sandy MacDiarmid (reappointed), Keep Jackson Beautiful; Mark Robertson (reappointed) Vicious Dog Committee and Monola Patterson and Wayne Arnold were reappointed to the Jackson Municipal Regional Planning Commission.
- Vicki Lake, Delaine Bottoms, Tammy Buchanan, Gail Gustafson, Teresa Harrison, Stacy Miller, Kimberly D. Parker, Verna Ruffin, Sherrill Scott and Kim Tedford were reappointed to the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Domestic and Sexual Violence Committee.
(PHOTO: Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist talks with city councilman Johnny Dodd. Councilman Scott Conger is also pictured.)
David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
