[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6267737,"mediaKeyId","3064175-55fd5085be57d99b24371b0eac2e0a8b","parentId",3064175,"title","Council presses finance for March actuals as part of FY26 debate; CFO says audits near completion","audioSeconds",660,"startMs",3600000,"endMs",4260000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3064175-55fd5085be57d99b24371b0eac2e0a8b&start=3600&end=4260","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3064175-55fd5085be57d99b24371b0eac2e0a8b/thumbnail_3600000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6267737/Seat-Pleasant/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/Council-presses-finance-for-March-actuals-as-part-of-FY26-debate-CFO-says-audits-near-completion","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267737-6d04f1b19e7dc3b8be6d38812abbc392/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163319&Signature=abBBjTkjIhUT~o5Etnq7pbGqzU3QizfgUxnuYZHAzJ8SxchHBNvqYENglFeckNsr7L7RpX0cbKO9ri47RVU3TRV6Z4fjFKAz~3mEl8n-nWGlhZa3nmoEPPuoH38NrX4dC3Qs5tJ9EEjZG-cb812j80sOmqBxsUYsOHeKmQLOi-BSe8o6lBygLrnR7brE~ZaTKI45e-6YlC0-gCjxni~gHaLGlaIW4CYx5RGmvtB65C4Ri9JiYUYP7pfxF8eujdmAOCaO9wuIuowl-MMQUTybd4kes2uJd189X29KBRSksapB6o-rKDRNDib0HGG~7kNx0aed9WyS9ig0qvuKpemyGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Seat Pleasant, MD","date","2025-04-21T01:02:06.04Z","article","Council members pressed finance staff for a cross-department accounting of actual spending before the council votes on FY26 allocations.

At the meeting CFO Miss Logan said finance will run and circulate actual expenditure reports as of March 31, 2025, and that the city's accounting systems have been cleaned up after earlier years of incomplete records. \"Our goal for the next report is to provide an actual expenditure report for FY '25 as of March 31,\" Logan said, adding that prior accounting system problems required significant cleanup and journal entries.

Council members said that absence of departmental actuals hampered decisions. Councilwoman Scott urged line-item detail: \"I want to see the before, and then I want to see what they're asking.\" Councilmember Kearney and others told finance they need the data to decide where to cut or move funds.

Logan and city staff explained differences between previous systems and current QuickBooks usage, and noted that an enterprise budget-management solution is being considered to produce automated comparative reports going forward. The CFO also confirmed the city received ARPA obligations in December and that related amendments were approved by council April 7; finance staff will show how those obligations appear in FY25 numbers.

The council also discussed the city's outstanding audits. Miss Logan said the city completed the FY2023 audit and is actively working through FY2024 reconciliations; auditors expect FY2024 and 2025 to be brought current before year end if reconciliations hold. She and councilmembers repeatedly emphasized that improved monthly reconciliations and department reports are a priority to help the council manage appropriations and to avoid surprises during the year.

Council direction: finance will circulate March 31 actuals and a list of pending budget amendments (including ARPA obligations) before the next virtual budget-review meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Hearing","oneSentenceSummary","Council members demanded department-level actual expenditure reports through March 31, 2025, before approving FY26 allocations; CFO Miss Logan said draft actuals will be circulated and that the finance office has been cleaning up multi-year accounting issues.","taxTitle","Seat Pleasant, Prince George's County, Maryland","taxId",74492,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6267742,"Seat Pleasant mayor requests $5,000 staffing allocation and seeks clearer carryover for assistance",4199,1000,4200000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3064175-55fd5085be57d99b24371b0eac2e0a8b&start=1&end=4200","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3064175-55fd5085be57d99b24371b0eac2e0a8b/thumbnail_1000.jpg","/articles/6267742/Seat-Pleasant/Prince-Georges-County/Maryland/Seat-Pleasant-mayor-requests-5000-staffing-allocation-and-seeks-clearer-carryover-for-assistance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267742-ffa6a6e715f7bbd4d239be15afcd01b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771163319&Signature=U55WXv8bsH6o75iNkAGODGnxLkIJ7uFGQOWhQJGBW3tD4l8lUXLqQVYA6~qfo5gWn~Lf6yVT40vszB0THlhqxNfJAjzA6SttQccZtrw3HDAvka6~79NUvB3LXOVyxcKwUZjYZ0iuiyFcmOxGw1GIuz~0J0nHEWdUbAaieSJxG7vnZiepmYKjKoKpoKNTczPIGHj~L-NykeUgUb6aXf87RUVa~MbUf3WghX~zbBT6wExyzVmDMMjpmjkARuyS-2oSxABsiTLIT4nUDn9qexkGdbQbtl7369lUqkctrFGOWQr4BpSIxjGT7wHpK4wbLQqxmnwEMWZl7yPQbEjxOi2xQQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Porter asked the council to provide more paid assistance to the mayor's office, proposing a $5,000 allocation intended to be used toward additional staff support for events, business outreach and other mayoral duties.

Porter told the council that the city is growing and that he needs extra, day-to-day help to pursue grants, business development and planning: “I need the additional help… so that I can make sure that there's an allocation of monies for the additional assistance for me to have in the mayor's office,” Porter said.

Several council members expressed sympathy for the need while pushing for a clearer description of how the money would be used. Councilwoman Kearney asked for details on what the $5,000 would purchase and whether the existing staff assistant position, which is shared by the mayor and council, could absorb additional duties instead.

Council members proposed alternatives to creating a separate mayoral hire. Councilmember Scott recommended cutting the $5,000 and placing resources into constituent services to handle urgent resident needs after auditors' and finance staff's review showed a recent large single expenditure from the current $4,000 line. Councilmember Raynor suggested using overtime funds to pay existing staff when extra help is needed. Several members urged the mayor to provide a written list of specific tasks and estimated costs so the council could vote with full information.

Mayor Porter agreed to provide a written breakdown of the requested assistance, the capital-outlay list for the mayor's office and other supporting detail, and said he was willing to work with the council on where that $5,000 should be placed if it is not left in the mayor's budget. The meeting record shows a working consensus to reassign the $5,000 from the mayor's 5,100 salaries line into constituent services (proposed to become $10,000) and to move related payroll tax savings into Smart City Advisory Board funding; council staff will record final adjustments in the budget amendment process.

Porter and several council members emphasized the distinction between a one-time payment or overtime for existing staff versus creating a new permanent position. Multiple council members asked that the CFO provide actuals (spending to date) so they could make an informed decision about recurring versus one-time costs. Finance staff confirmed they will run and circulate actual expenditures through March 31 for departmental line items.","Mayor Porter asked the council to reallocate $5,000 to pay for an extra staff assistant for the mayor's office to help with events, business outreach and grant work, prompting council members to ask for more detailed cost breakdowns and offer alternatives including overtime or shifting duties to existing staff.","actionData","errors"]

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Council presses finance for March actuals as part of FY26 debate; CFO says audits near completion

Seat Pleasant mayor requests $5,000 staffing allocation and seeks clearer carryover for assistance