Harahan council defers mid‑year budget amendments, schedules special budget meeting for Sept. 4

The Harahan City Council on July 17 deferred consideration of mid‑year budget changes until the finance office can provide reconciled June 2025 figures.

Proposed ordinance 2025‑9, a mid‑year amendment to the city’s revenue and expenditure budget for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2025, was moved for deferral by Councilman Asville and seconded by Councilman Chatelaine; the council voted unanimously to defer the ordinance to allow staff time to close the books and prepare a packet.

Finance Director Todd Turney told the council the delay resulted from audit and year‑end close activities. He said the annual audit for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024 has been completed and delivered to the state and that staff are now closing books through June 30, 2025. Turney said the administration will provide reconciled numbers to the council in advance of next month’s meeting and will seek to provide ongoing monthly projections thereafter.

Council members also deferred a capital‑project amendment (ordinance 2025‑10) to buy a replacement or upgraded pump for the memorial wall fountain until staff could confirm quotes and whether simple maintenance and improved filter care (already provided by a local pool vendor) eliminated the need for a new pump.

To allow time for review, the council scheduled a special budget meeting focused on the packet and budget review for Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. The council also discussed the possibility of an additional special meeting in late August if reconciled numbers were available sooner.

Council members said they wanted sufficient time to review reconciled numbers before voting on budget amendments and capital commitments, and several members said they would not support capital spending that was not an emergency until they had full fiscal visibility.