Tuscaloosa finance committee approves Eastwood girls athletics disbursement, budget bookkeeping change, tax-holiday opt-in and arts funding referrals to council

The Tuscaloosa City Finance Committee approved four finance items Tuesday, including a disbursement from a District 6 improvements fund for Eastwood Middle School girls athletics, a technical general-fund budget revision tied to reimbursement for the Tuscaloosa Metro Bridal Shelter, participation in Alabama’s severe-weather preparedness sales tax holiday, and recommendations to increase three agency contracts to be considered next week by the full City Council.

Councilman Fayol moved and the committee approved a disbursement from the District 6 Improvements Fund for Eastwood Middle School’s girls athletics program. “We wanna ... help the girls at Eastwood,” Fayol said, adding that girls’ programs “get overlooked occasionally,” and that the committee was “gonna help them at Eastwood with … their athletic program.” The committee record did not specify the disbursement amount.

The committee next approved General Fund budget revision No. 2, described by Miss Standridge as primarily bookkeeping to record additional cost-reimbursement revenue from Tuscaloosa County and the City of Northport related to a contract change with the Tuscaloosa Metro Bridal Shelter. Standridge said the revision “is a 0 line item change to the contingency within the general fund” that increases both the anticipated reimbursement revenue and the appropriation the city will pay to the shelter.

On the tax-holiday item, the committee voted to opt the city into Alabama’s severe-weather preparedness sales tax holiday, which exempts certain preparedness items from local sales taxes during the designated period. Standridge listed examples of eligible purchases, saying they include “generators, flashlights, batteries, things of that nature.” The committee approved participation for the same period the state designates.

Finally, Council President Tyner — who was not present — sent proposed increases to three agency contracts. Miss Standridge reported the amounts: $2,830 to an agency not named on the record, $3,000 to the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra and $5,000 to Theater Tuscaloosa, for a total of $10,830. Standridge said the funds would be taken from the general-fund contingency, which she said is “around $750,000.” Committee members voted to forward those adjustments to the City Council for final action next week.

Procedural motions to adopt the meeting minutes and to approve each item were made, seconded and carried by voice vote. The agenda reported no dissenting votes on the items recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance - District 6 Improvements Fund disbursement for Eastwood Middle School girls athletics — approved (amount not specified in record). - General Fund budget revision No. 2 (bookkeeping to record county and Northport cost reimbursements and increased appropriation to Tuscaloosa Metro Bridal Shelter) — approved. - Opt-in to Alabama severe-weather preparedness sales tax holiday — approved. - Recommended contract increases forwarded to City Council: $2,830 (agency not specified), $3,000 to Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, $5,000 to Theater Tuscaloosa (total $10,830) — approved by committee; final approval to be sought by City Council.

The committee scheduled the arts-contract increases for consideration by the full City Council next week and adjourned after completing its agenda.