Irondale council approves midyear budget adjustments after extended audit and finance debate
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Summary
Council approved FY24–25 budget adjustments and accepted the FY23–24 audit after a lengthy public and council discussion about revenues, bond payments, retiree obligations and the need for a follow-up finance work session.
The Irondale City Council approved a package of midyear budget adjustments for FY2024–25 and accepted the city’s FY2023–24 audit after extended debate among council members and city leadership.
Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. told the council the city was not running a deficit: the year-to-date figures through March showed a surplus and revised projections still indicated a surplus. The mayor also said the city had made its bond payments on schedule and that some criticisms arose from reporting timing: bond payments occur April 1, July 1, Oct. 1 and Jan. 1 and would not appear in a March 31 report.
Councilwoman Cuellar pressed for item-level clarity and had circulated an alternative set of adjustments that flagged concerns about salaries for police, fire and retiree benefits; she said several line items required additional explanation and that some entries should be kept in separate funds (she repeatedly asked that Rebuild Alabama receipts remain in their own fund). She told the council she preferred public finance questions to be raised in a public forum so residents could see the exchange.
Finance questions created a point of friction: some council members asked why the mayor or city clerk were not present at an earlier finance-committee meeting; the mayor said he had attended and described previous meetings where staff were constrained from speaking. Other council members said department heads and the city clerk had confirmed current salaries and staffing levels could be sustained with the proposed adjustments.
The council received the independent audit (FY23–24) presented by the city auditor. The audit firm reported an unmodified (clean) opinion and noted the city’s net position was about $20.1 million as of Sept. 30, 2024. The auditor highlighted growth in property and sales taxes and said water operations showed a positive operating result when interfund transfers were excluded.
Several council members asked for a dedicated work session with the auditor and city management so they and the public could review the full audit and the management letter in detail. Mayor Stewart said the auditor was invited to the council meeting in a public forum and encouraged members to ask questions then; the auditor said he was available for follow-up.
Council votes recorded in open session approved the budget adjustments, accepted the audit, and advanced other items on the meeting agenda. Several council members noted follow-up tasks: publishing detailed explanations of major line-item changes, maintaining Rebuild Alabama funds in a separate account, and scheduling a finance work session so the auditor and department heads can answer council and public questions.
Council members characterized the meeting as a substantive public accounting of the city’s finances and urged more regular, transparent committee briefings going forward.
