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Whitehall council adopts three emergency fund-transfer ordinances to cover fleet and debt-service needs
Summary
Council adopted three ordinances on emergency suspension to advance and transfer approximately $200,889 to cover cruiser upfitting contingencies and debt-service allocations; one item included explanation of a vendor bankruptcy and a $75,000 deposit.
The Whitehall City Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted three emergency ordinances to move unappropriated funds within the general fund to cover fleet and debt-service needs.
Ordinance 24 20 25 advanced $75,000 from the Fleet Reserve and Maintenance Fund to cover the deposit for upfitting police cruisers after the vendor contracted to outfit the vehicles entered bankruptcy, city staff said. Councilmembers said the city expects to seek restitution through claims but cannot guarantee recovery, so the fund advance allows upfitting to proceed without delaying patrol vehicle readiness.
Ordinance 25 20 25 authorized a fund transfer in the amount of $67,968.97 from unappropriated moneys in the general fund to the debt service fund. Ordinance 26 20 25 authorized a transfer of $57,920.89 from unappropriated general-fund moneys to the debt service fund. Council introduced, suspended the rules on, and adopted all three ordinances in the same meeting.
What council heard: Director Rollins explained Ordinance 24 20 25, telling the council that the company the city used to outfit police cruisers “is no longer in business” and that the city had paid a $75,000 deposit to prepare three cruisers for upfitting. She said the city had recovered the vehicles but not the upfitting and anticipated filing claims alongside other municipalities that were pursuing the same vendor. Councilman Dixon and others asked for the explanation before the vote.
Votes and process: Council moved to suspend the rules for all three ordinances and then adopted them. Roll-call votes recorded each present councilmember voting yes on the suspensions and on the adoptions. No recorded dissents or abstentions were recorded on these measures during the meeting.
Fiscal detail and follow up: Ordinance 24 20 25 advances $75,000 pending possible recovery from bankruptcy claims; staff said the city expects to pursue reimbursement but “cannot guarantee it.” The two debt-service transfers total $125,889.86. Council asked staff to note the pending claims related to the vendor bankruptcy and to track any reimbursements returned to the fleet reserve fund.
Ending: The ordinances were enacted as emergency measures at the meeting. Council did not attach additional programmatic changes or reporting deadlines beyond staff comments to pursue restitution; members said they would receive updates through routine financial reporting.
