At a meeting on Tuesday, July 7, the Cottonwood City Council unanimously approved the final budget for FY 2020-2021. The anticipated general fund budget totals $79,468,80, a 4.5% increase from last year’s $76,016,900. This increase is smaller than several of the previous years, largely due to fallen revenues as a result of the corona- virus pandemic and the ensuing drop in tourism in the area.
The general fund has a limit of $27,363,585, a 1.41% decrease compared to last year’s $27,750,605. This drop was mostly accomplished through cuts to payroll. The furloughing of city employees during the shutdown in the spring saved $120,665. In addition, four full-time employees and one part- time were let go permanently, saving the city $322,350. The budget does,however, allow for the hiring of a new public works employee this year, though that position is not currently filled.
The city also received a portion of funding from the federal government through the CARES Act. The city is using the money they would normally spend on those employees to fund its reserves. Further CARES Act funding is also paying for the city’s transit system, which City Manager Ron Corbin argued gives the council opportunity to spend money on the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce.
The city of Cottonwood drastically scaled back its funding of the Chamber of Commerce this year in comparison to previous years, choosing not to renew its funding.
The chamber Board of Directors, in a letter to the council on June 26, requested that the council continue allocating some funding to the organization, including $60,000 per year to operate the Visitor Center and a partner sponsorship along with other chamber members, costing $10,000 for the year.
“We hope to maintain a strong partnership with the city going forward, with the Cottonwood chamber acting as a catalyst for business growth and community development, as well as a vital liaison between local government and the business community,” the chamber wrote in its letter.
Members of the council expressed support for paying for the visitor center, but some had reservations over the sponsorship.
“I have no problem with the $60,000. I think that’s reasonable and it’s fair,” Vice Mayor Michael Mathews said. “As far as the $10,000 partnership, membership thing, there was a bit too cozy a relationship between council and chamber in the past, with members being on both bodies. When I look at this, I see things like, we give them $10,000 for this membership, and we get tickets and get things back. I think we should be very sensitive about that — getting something for us giving the money.”
Councilwoman Debbie Wilden argued to give the full $70,000 requested but not get the member ship in return.
Emergency Declarations
In addition to dealing with finance and budgetary issues, the council discussed changing the municipal code on emergency declarations, after controversy at a special meeting on June 19 led to open revolt from members of the council. At the June 19 meeting, the council voted 43 against adopting an ordinance requiring mask usage in the city in situations where social distancing was not possible. However, the mayor, immediately after the vote, issued a proclamation requiring masks [but without the proposed enforcement] anyway, leading to members of the council expressing anger at the decision.
The proposed change to the municipal code would make the mayor’s action impossible.
“No such declaration or proclamation shall issue if a majority of the council then sitting has within the preceding 30 days considered and explicitly declined to take the same or substantially similar action or actions in response to the same circumstance — unless within the same 30day period a majority of the council subsequently votes to authorize such action and/or take action itself on the same matter,” the ordinance discussed by council reads in part.
“This ordinance is specifically to restore the citizens’ confidence in the democratic process and reassure the citizens of Cottonwood that their elected representatives are their voice and their collective vote,” said Mathews, one of the sponsors of the ordinance along with Vice Mayor Tosca Henry.
The discussion did not lead to a vote on the proposed ordinance, which will be discussed later this month.
