COLUMBIA, 8/15/10 (Beat Byte) -- In an
odd twist to the "lack of fire department funding " story, the Columbia City
Council Monday night will consider replacing a 14-year-old GMC Yukon
truck for the fire department with money from one of City Hall's 27
funds.
But the money isn't coming from the General Fund, which supports
firefighting services. Instead, it's coming from the $57 million
Capital Projects Fund. From that fund, it will go into a
General Fund account called the General Fund Fire Department Trucks
Account.
By the city's own definition, the Capital Projects Fund is "to be used for
the acquisition or construction of major capital
facilities or improvements." How replacing a 1996 GMC
Yukon falls under these guidelines isn't explained in the proposed ordinance.
What's more, though the Columbia Airport has its own $18 million fund
-- the Airport Fund -- the proposed ordinance seeks to transfer
another $350,000 from the Capital Projects Fund for "working capital for the
airport."
That transfer, the attached Staff report says, will "reduce the amount of
funds available for future capital projects."
In other words, it will actually detract from the requirements of the
Capital Projects Fund!
In fact, Council Bill B213-10 transfers and appropriates
money from several numbered accounts contained in the Capital Project
Fund, mostly at the request of the City Manager.
From the Walton Building Renovation Project Account (No.
440-8800-508.49-90) to the Convention and Tourism Fund Account (No.
229-0000-341.10-00)
From the Fire Apparatus Project Account
(440-8800-518.49-90) to the General Fund Fire Department Trucks
Account (110-2320-513.65-25).
From the Capital Project Fund Interfund Transfers Account
(440-8800-800.81-59) to the Airport Interfund Transfers Account.
The ordinance even includes a short-term $340,000 loan, of sorts, for
billionaire Stan Kroenke's Stadium Transportation Development District -- monies
eventually due back from the Missouri Dept. of Transportation.
"Staff has billed Mo DOT," the report says. How long they will take to pay
that bill, however, isn't discussed.
RELATED:
B213-10: AN ORDINANCE transferring balances and appropriating funds from
Capital Projects funds
CITY HALL FUND DEFINITIONS, PAGE 11
More money-moving on Monday:
No comments:
Post a Comment