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www.starnewsgaonline.com StarNews January 12, 2020 Page 3 PUBLIC MEETINGS from page 2 ting us invoices slow, you know, we can call them and ask them for them, but I don’t really have the staffing to call... So I kinda use that to our advantange because we get that cash sit ting there. Now, at the end of the year, we square every thing up.” Commissioner Chance said, “Commissioner Reynolds’ comment is not totally off base at all. There have been some things to my understanding that were behind. . . What about inter nal departments, such as the court system? Has that always been caught up to speed?” Searcy said, “I wouldn’t say that any department has been caught up to speed at any particular time. . . all departments from time to time have invoices that fall through the cracks or are not available to the finance department until it’s past the date. If it was due in November and we receive on December 1st, then we post it on December 1st. That’s how governmental acounting works... I put together exact expenses.” Chance said, “It looks like we are caught up. . . I’m not directing this at anyone.. . We govern off a monthly report for a reason. If line items are $100,000 difference from prior year' to date or $40 grand or $30 grand, that’s telling us a story. It doesn’t mean it is incorrect. In some cases I think it has been, as far as lagging behind in the bookings. . . But, the reality is that we do not govern on June 30. . we govern month to month and I think that’s why it’s critical that the reports be accurate every month as much as they can be.” Searcy said, “I agree with you. I would love to see a full accrual system so we could do that. But that’s not the accounting stan dard for governmental accounting. I have to work within the standards I am given, and work within, what 520 other employees do [presenting invoices in a timely manner or not]” Reynolds then circled back to his original point, “I just wanted to know. ... if I look down through departments and there’s someone at 30% [in expenditures], I will think ‘wow’ they doing really great, but if I find out there are a lot of postings that haven’t been posted and they are really at 56%, then they’re really not so good. So, that’s the only thing...” Morgan interjected saying, “Let me remind you all, according to our enabling legislation I am the Chief Budget Officer. So that’s really more day-to-day, that if there are people running behind or running over, that’s really more my job.” Morgan continued, but did not address Reynold’s question of what a solution might be for more timely invoice postings. She also commented on a point that had not been raised in this discussion, that is of whether budgets were purposely being broken. She also admonished those district commission ers that while they might be interested in the county’s finances/ timely expense Racking as an individual, it was her job as county chairman to “take care of’ it. Morgan said, “I don’t think we have a department head or an elected official that is going to purposely go over budget. I just do not think they are going to do that. . . I want to remind you some of this day-to-day stuff is my job to do. . .while it may be important to you all individually, I just want to remind you these are things that I will take care of.” Chance objected stating, “Are you. . I mean, I don’t understand your comment. One of our jobs collectively as a board is to watch over the finances. So, if I am aware that something is behind a couple of months, I have an issue with that. I’m not saying that’s not your job but you’re saying - “ Morgan interrupted, “I think you need to bring that up to me and you don’t announce it at a meeting like this. I think that is a discus sion you need to be having with me individually.” Chance responded, “Well, I’ve only been asking the questions for twelve months... so, ...” Reynolds again attempted to circle back to the issue, ”1 look at it month to month, I don’t care about day-to-day. . . for example, our roads department is at right at 50% so I’m thinking okay, that’s probably fine, but.. . those are just things that, you know, a tardy posting system would reflect an inaccurate picture. . . I just want to know. . . are we operating at a current month to month?” Commissioner Lee then stated, “I thought a work session’s purpose was to dis cuss finances or any issue on the agenda? I mean, we are presented a financial and if we have issues with it, I thought we were sup posed to discuss it at a work session.” Morgan said, “It is, but it’d be nice to bring things up ahead of time so we could be prepared to have answers for you.” Lee responded, “It would be nice if we knew things ahead of time.” Morgan said, “What exactly are you asking you don’t know?” Lee said, “That we don’t know?” Morgan said, “Yes. . .what exactly are you ask ing?” Lee said, “There are a lot of things that we aren’t aware of that go on.” Reynolds then asked for a monthly update on SPLOST. Searcty said she would have that available. According to the Georgia Municipal Association Handbook on work sessions: “Work ses sions provide members the opportunity to meet with staff in order to delve into complex issues, discuss solutions and alternatives, give direction to staff, finalize agendas, or create consent agendas. Pre-meeting work sessions may be used by councilmembers to prepare for upcoming regular, formal meetings. These meetings are typically more casual in tone, are often used for information gathering. ” The commission work sesson scheduled for Thursday, January 30th has been can celled. The board will attend a “Planning Retreat” at Callaway Gardens, 4500 Southern Pine Drive, Pine Mountain, Georgia 31822, beginning 9:00 a.m. Friday, January 31 and concluding at noon on Saturday, February 1st. This is a public meeting. At this point Morgan interjected saying, “Let me remind you all, according to our enabling legislation I am the Chief Budget Officer. So that’s really more day-to-day, that if there are people running behind or running over, that’s really more my job.” Chance objected stating, “Are you.. I mean, I don’t understand your comment. One of our jobs collectively as a board is to watch over the finances. So, if I am aware that something is behind a couple of months, I have an issue with that. I’m not saying that’s not your job but you’re saying - “ Morgan interrupted, “I think you need to bring that up to me and you don’t announce it at a meeting like this. I think that is a discussion you need to be having with me individually.” Dynamic Opportunities Faith-based Environment Academic Excellence Family Focused Oak Mountain ACADEMY Please Join ds pr Y mm ^ i f Admissions Open House '' * "' Thursday, January 23, 2020 9 a.m. Register at www.oakmountain.us Call 770-834-6651 LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY 222 Cross Plains Road, Carrollton, GA 30116
