Crawford council begins 2024–25 budget work, schedules accountant visit

Crawford Mayor Shane Norman convened a budget meeting on July 17, 2024, where the City Council laid out steps for preparing the 2024–25 budgets for multiple funds and scheduled an accountant to review city finances.

Council Members Tovmassian, Dean and Grant and City Clerk Julia Butler attended. Norman opened by confirming that public notice was posted and that a copy of the Open Meetings Act is available to the public.

Council Member Tovmassian said staff should compile administrative data showing receivables and payables for the last year, provide year-to-date fund balances from the treasurer and solicit preliminary budget recommendations from each board so boards can prepare before meeting with the accountant.

Jeani, a staff member, reported that the city’s audit remains ongoing even though the auditors are no longer in the office; the meeting did not include a completion date for the audit. Tovmassian also requested that staff ask the auditor what baseline inflationary-rate assumption the city should use in preparing budgets.

Mayor Norman said he had contacted accountant Mike Scow of Dana Cole & Company, who indicated availability to travel to Crawford July 31–August 1 to meet with staff and review budget materials. City Hall staff committed to supply financial information to boards the week of July 22 so those boards could develop preliminary budgets in time for the accountant’s visit.

The council scheduled the next budget meeting for Monday, July 29, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the library to continue work on the budgets. Mayor Norman adjourned the July 17 meeting at 5:38 p.m.

The meeting covered process steps and scheduling rather than formal votes or policy decisions; follow-up actions called for staff to compile and distribute financial information and to consult auditors and the visiting accountant for technical guidance.