They did it on purpose, commissioner says of faulty Macon-Bibb revenue projections

How did our government get in such a financial mess? It’s a fair question. First, let me say that we should not be in this position.

The answer has many components. The main reason is the current administration overestimated the revenue projections for three years in a row. I have conferred with Elmo Richardson, the esteemed former chairman of the Bibb County Commission Finance Committee for 10 years, and we both agree this overestimation of revenue projections was done by design to support or balance the budget. Consequently, we never had a balanced budget because the revenue projections were overstated.

The Macon-Bibb County Commission’s Operations and Finance Committee, with then-chairman Gary Bechtel and members Elaine Lucas, Larry Schlesinger, Virgil Watkins Jr. and Scotty Shepherd, along with the rest of the commission, have been given revenue projections each year from the budget director of the mayor at his direction and that data has been overestimated or overstated.

We should have asked more questions after the second year. This false premise has caused the commission to raise the millage rate last year and we are headed for another increase this year. So, to balance the budget, we have reduced the reserve fund from $33 million down to $4 million.

Other reasons that we are in this mess include the early retirement plan that we passed in 2014. That plan reduced our work force almost 300 employees. Unfortunately, if an employee had 30 years of service, that employee could retire with 90 percent of his current salary, a plan that was way too rich — plus we lost a lot of talent. Another reason is the rising cost of health care, which is beyond our control as is the reduction of sales tax collected.

Two weeks ago, I sponsored an ordinance that would take our charter back to where we began. In 2013, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government along with the Consolidation Task Force recommended that we have a finance director who is accountable to not only the mayor, but to all the commissioners as well. That ordinance will require us to have monthly reviews to determine what we really can afford. This same format was recommended by Miller Edwards of Mauldin & Jenkins accounting firm so that we spend based on what we can actually afford.

According to staff, the mayor was opposed to going back to this format that was recommended by the Carl Vinson Institute. Even so, it has passed and began Monday. I have been a new member of Operations and Finance since January. Last Tuesday, I was removed from this committee by virtue of Mayor Robert Reichert and Mayor Pro Tem Al Tillman adding two commissioners and taking me off the committee.

I had served for 189 days and was serving as vice chairman of Operations and Finance at the time. Having been a successful businessman with a good knowledge of contracts and finance, I was bewildered at this unprecedented move. When I asked why, Reichert said, “This was done to improve the political situation on the commission.” Folks, our budget crisis is still here. If we don’t have the political will and the good common sense to make the necessary cuts, then we will be in a similar position next year.

Commissioner Mallory C. Jones II represents Macon-Bibb County’s District 4.