By: ELIZABETH
WEST
Managing Editor
On Tuesday, the Turkey Creek council once again discussed the village’s police department finances.
At last months meeting, the council approved moving $35,000 from its utility fund to the police department fund to balance the budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017.
During the council’s July meeting however, Turkey Creek Mayor Heather Cloud shared that the police department has $80,000 in a savings account.
She then requested that the council move $35,000 from the savings account to the utility account to replenish what was borrowed by the police department.
According to the mayor though, at this time the police departments “expenses are more then its revenues.”
Mayor Cloud said, “Every month since October the police department’s expenses have outweighed its revenues, and the expenses haven’t changed.”
According to the mayor, if the operating cost for the police department remain the same for the next fiscal year, “it would take $60,000 to balance its budget.”
With only $45,000 remaining in the savings account after replenishing the utility fund, the police department is on track to fall $15,000 short of what is needed for operating expenses.
Last month’s deficit, according to the mayor, was $5,800.
That deficit could potentially rise since the council approved retirement pay for one of the village’s officers at last month’s meeting.
With the finances in front of them, the council decided to readdress this situation at next month’s meeting when the full council is present.
Mayor Cloud, has also asked the village clerk to begin preparing a financial statement each month that shows the financial progress of the department, so that this situation can be monitored closely.
Other items approved at the meeting were:
• Financial statement.
• Reimbursement for secretary’s mileage.