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Resident urges council to reconsider $500 apparel budget for city logoed wear
Summary
Resident Deborah Olsen told the council that a $500 annual budget for logoed city apparel is a luxury amid tight household budgets; council members said the allowance is part of personnel policy, rarely used and that no purchases had been made in recent years.
During mayor's comments at the Dec. 16 Foley City Council meeting, resident Deborah Olsen criticized a $500 annual line in the personnel policy for logoed city apparel, saying the allowance is inappropriate when many residents are on tight budgets.
"It shouldn't be that 500 is budgeted so you can be reimbursed for it," Deborah Olsen said during the public-comment segment, adding that volunteers and staff often purchase shirts at a discount and that the proposed city reimbursement feels like a luxury.
Council members responded that the $500 allowance is part of the personnel policy and that the council has not regularly expended those funds. A council speaker noted that the city has not used that budget in recent years: "None the last zero. Zero the last four years," the speaker said, referencing recent spending history. The chair and other members said they would take the feedback under advisement and review whether the language belongs in the personnel manual.
The discussion did not produce a motion or change to the personnel policy; council members indicated they would check spending history and consider whether to amend the policy. The item will remain as public comment record and could be placed on a future agenda if the council pursues a formal change.
