Newspaper Page Text
Report Is Mow 5 Months Old
| Report ignored By Council? |
(Editor’s note: This report is an update on the
J’ Ze S,L Efficiency Study Committee
report. While The Home Journal realizes the
report stated that the recommendations made by
the committee are for the next Mayor and
Council, many observers have felt some of the
|:j| recommendations could be implemented at the
present time, especially those pertaining to public
g relations and team work on Council. The Home
•j: Journal invites replys from readers and members
:|:j: of Council on this report. And there is no direct
criticism intended for any specific member of
Council or department. It is just intended as an
analysis of part of the study committee’s report
;j:j: Which, it appears, so far, has gone without much
notice.)
$ The Perry City Council appointed a blue ribbon
:j:|: panel of local citizens in July 1971, to make a
thorough study of the operations of the City
government and bring back to Council their
recommendations on how the City can operate
more efficiently. The group was called the
Citizens Efficiency Study Committee. They held
$ their first meeting August 17, 1971. Their 12 page
report was released to the public on Feb. 7 of this
year.
The committee was appointed by the Mayor and
Council, with each member having one ap
pointment. Serving on the study group were
chairman Lewis Meeks, Curtis Fountain, Glea
Gray, Dan Nelson, G. F. Nunn and Pete
Whitehurst. Another member, H. H. Hackworth,
>:•: resigned to run for City Council.
VOL. 101 NO. 24
$724, 110 Without Gas Oept.
City Fates Big Budget
In Tight Money Year
The Perry City Council
recently adopted a general
operating budget of
$724,110.10. This budget,
however, does not include
the gas department, which
operates under its own
budget. The 1972 gas
department budget has not
yet been completed but last
year it was a whopping
$436,250.00. It will probably
be more this year, but just
how much, no one is saying
at this time.
When the gas dept,
completes its budget the City
will probably end up with a
combined general and gas
budget of close to $1,200,000
for the operating year 1972.
It will mark a record budget
with the City’s budget in 1971
running a little over $675,000.
The City was late adopting
a budget this year because of
the uncertainty of the
election concerning the
Mayor and one member of
City Council. The election
case is still before the
Georgia Supreme Court but
Where Is The Fire?
Perry Fire Dept.
The city fire department
reported no action during the
past week.
Hayneville-Grovania
The Hayneville-Grovania
Volunteer Fire Department
fought two grass fires at
Grovania, one on June 9 and
one on June 10.
Centerville
On Tuesday June 10 the
Centerville Fire Department
The Houston Home Journal
The Perry Area’s Favorite Newspaper For The Past 100 Years
Council went ahead with a
budget last month.
The largest single
budgeted department in the
City is the police dept, with a
budget of $167,848. The 1971
police budget was $156,518.
The item in the police budget
that marks the increase is
the amount alloted for
salaries which is $132,310
compared to $122,868 in 1971.
Councilman Frank Leonard
serves as chairman of the
police and fire departments.
Interim Mayor Dan Britton
served as co-chairman
until he took over when
former Mayor Malcolm
Heese resigned March 31.
Britton will serve as Mayor
until the Supreme Court
decides on the Ferry case. It
is not known who the Mayor
will appoint to the police
dept, committee when he
finally takes office.
The next largest depart
ment in the budget is the
street dept, with total of
$137,850 in their budget. In
the street dept, too, the
answered calls to two woods
fires, on Story Road and on
Liberia Road.
Bonaire-Kathleen
The Bonaire-Kathleen
Volunteer Fire Department
answered a call to a mobile
home fire June 5 on Ha
Drive, the home of D. Y.
Milligans. There was slight
damage to the rear of the
mobile home before the fire
was extinguished.
Just how serious did City Council take the
report? How many of the recommendations has
Council followed almost 5 months after the release
of the report? Has Council, indeed, ever met with
the members of the committee to discuss the
report and their recommendations? These and
other questions surrounding the report will be
looked at in this special Home Journal report
One of the first recommendations set down in
the report was that the City Council encourage
more citizen involvement with the City govern
ment. The report stated,“Council should actively
encourage and promote citizen involvement in
their community government, and we know of no
better way than to use them as an advisory group
for some of the specialized functions of the City’s
operations. Council may even want to consider
having a new group study in more detail some
particular recommendations in this report”
As far as The Home Journal can determine,
there has been no move by Council to encourage
more citizens involvement and there has been no
discussion in open Council meetings about the
appointment of another study group. There has
really been very little discussion about the Feb. 7
report in open meetings.
The report praised former Mayor Malcolm
Reese and other members of Council for their
dedication and efforts on behalf of the City. But at
the same time, the committee submitted a strong
reminder to Council that they have a duty and
responsibility to set aside their personal feelings
and seek to represent and serve the entire com
munity and all its citizens. The report also pointed
PAGE 1-A
biggest hunk of funds go for
salaries with $55,500 set
aside to pay the employees.
The next biggest item comes
under the heading of utilities
which is $25,000. That money
goes for street and traffic
light installation and
maintenance and other
utility costs to the street
dept. The street dept, has
$15,000 set down for street
maintenance and pipe.
The street department’s
budget is only slightly higher
than the 1971 budget which
was $134,430. Councilmen D.
K. Roughton and Henry
Casey are presently serving
as co-chairmen of this
department. But, again, it is
not known whether they will
keep their posts after the
new Mayor takes office.
The third biggest budgeted
item is the sanitation
department with a total of
$116,640. Salaries again eat
up the biggest part of this
department’s budget ac
counting for a total of
$89,590. Compared with the
1971 budget of $92,260 the
sanitation dept, took a big
increase. Councilmen D. K.
Roughton and Henry Casey
also serve as co-chairmen of
this department.
Council members have
stated in the past that the
budget is going to be difficult
“to live with” this year.
Finance chairman for the
City, Councilman Frank
Leonard, has said that the
Council is going to have to
keep a close watch on
spending and be extra
cautious not to go over their
PERRY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 1972 32 PAGES
alloted budgets.
Many observers feel that
with the City’s new garbage
collection fee, which begins
this month, the City will be
able to live within the budget
and perhaps even come out
of the year with a surplus.
That is - if there are no un
foreseen items.
It’s no secret the City is in
financial bind at the present
time but most Councilmen
feel the City can pull out of
struggle and continue to
offer increased services
without an ad valorem tax
increase in 1973. That
remains to be seen.
1972 BUDGET
CITY OF FERRY
Library Expenses $2,400.00
Chamber of Com
merce 9,000.00
Legislative 13,000.00
Executive 7,500.00
Judicial 1,800.00
Administrative 47,000.00
Planning and zoning 9,920.00
Government
Building 11,355.00
Community
Promotions 2,500.00
Police 167,848.00
Fire 55,197.10
Streets 137,850.00
Parks 4,000.00
Sanitation 116,640.00
Recreation 4,000.00
Field Water 65,000.00
Water & Sewage
Treatment plant 69,100.00
Grand Total $724,110,10
out that Council should not overlook the basic fact
that the strength of a Council stems directly from
the willingness of its members to work together as
a team.
The Home Journal has observed, from at
tending many City Council meetings, that there
remains a “gap” between members of City
Council and distinct jealously and resentment
between some committee heads over their
departments. Some Councilmen complain their
departments are not allocated enough funds while
other departments are given more than enough
funds in the budget. There have been a number of
occasions along these lines that shows very little
team work at all on City Council. And, on the other
hand, Council has at times displayed flashes of
working together harmoniously on some projects.
But for the most part, this portion of the com
mittee’s recommendations have gone the way of
the wind.
The report contained a considerable amount
about the manner in which Council conducts itself
at open meetings. The report made reference to
“community unity” and recommended that unity
begin at Council meetings. The report stated in
part, “Council needs to be reminded that these
meetings are held solely for the purpose of con
ducting the business of the City and not for the
purpose of holding political forums.”
The Home Journal will let readers draw their
own conclusions about this recommendation
from past and future newspaper accounts of
Council meetings.
The committee recommended that Council take
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MMLH' «vM. m --w >t|
r 1 - . ■ : -
Get tough in Washington. ■. V — * y, M
These Sam Nunn for Senator supporters
prepare to lead off the big motorcade that went
from Perry to Atlanta for the official qualifying
ceremonies of Ferry Senatorial candidate Sam
Nunn at the State Capital Tuesday. From left, the
candidate’s mother Mrs. Elizabeth Nunn, Jim
Police Chief Issues Warning
Chief B.E. Dennard of the
Perry Police Department
issued a warning this week
that any vehicle with im
proper mufflers will be
stopped and warned. If not
corrected within a
reasonable time, cases will
be made against the
operators of the vehicles for
violation of city and state
ordinances.
The chief stressed that this
includes motorcycles or any
Arts, Crafts Circus
Coining September 23, 1972 a circus of Arts and
Crafts sponsored by the Idaka Club. Applications
are being taken now. Anyone interested in
displaying or selling their works, contact Mrs.
Larry Walker, 987-3029; Mrs. Jerry Horton, 987-
2059; or Mrs. Jimmy Dorsett, 987-4714, by July 7,
1972.
steps to improve communications with the
citizens and with the Perry Chamber of Com
merce and employees of the City. The report
stated, “There is only one sure way to combat
misunderstanding and misinformation and that is |:j:j
with good communications.” $
The Home Journal notes that communications
do not seem to have improved among some >:j:
members of Council. And it appears the “gap”
between the City and the Chamber of Commerce
is still there, although not as bad as it has been in ®
past weeks and months. There still seems to be a $|
wide area of improvement in communications
between Council and the entire community. At :j:j;
least, among some members of Council.
This report has touched only on those areas of
the report that could and should be implemented S
right away by Council. The report states that |:j:|
these recommendations are for the next Mayor
and Council but the areas reported here could
very well be beneficial to the City if the recom- $
mendations were given some serious thought.
The report, of course, was not all negative.
There were a number of areas that Council jij:
received a great deal of “pats on the back” about. jij:
But those are things Council is doing right. The
crux of the report was recommendations to more ijij
efficiently and better operate the City for all the ijij
citizens. And there were other areas of the report
such as planning, housing, budget techniques and j:j:|
others that should be looked at as soon as the City &
finally has a full Mayor and Council. But this
report contends those areas, especially where :j : j;
public relations and image are concerned, could $
be implemented at any time.
McCown, Mrs. Sam Nunn, Louis (Smokey)
Harper, Mayor Dan Britton, chamber president
Joe Poole and in front is Michell Nunn. The
motorcade left from the Sam Nunn headquarters
here on Main Street and met with another large
group from Warner Robins on 1-75.
other type of motorized
vehicle as well as
automobiles.
He said that motorcycle
operators should keep in
mind the fact that the city
recently enacted an or
dinance requiring them to
keep both headlights and
rear lights burning at all
times during operation, day
or night. Cases will be made
against violators of this
ordinance also.