Coolidge council approves budget amendment, SPLOST measures and police safety purchases; ARPA bank-account item left unclear

Mayor Pro Tem Melissa Johnson presided over the City of Coolidge council—s April 8, 2025, regular meeting, where the council approved routine minutes and a package of fiscal and operational items, and recorded public comment.

The council unanimously approved the March 11 called meeting minutes, the order of the agenda and bills to be paid. The finance department presented a first-quarter budget amendment, which the council approved; the minutes do not specify the dollar amounts involved.

The council also approved a resolution related to SPLOST 23. Separately, the council approved several actions funded from SPLOST 17: purchase of police safety equipment requested by Police Chief Jordan (items described in the minutes as a ballistic vest and radar equipment) and payment of the final invoice to Smith Electric for a pump repair and installation. Chief Jordan presented department activity statistics (52 traffic stops, 19 tag violations and 11 speeding tickets) in explaining the equipment request; Councilwoman Melissa Johnson asked staff to obtain quotes for the items before purchase.

New business included approval of a community produce drop scheduled for April 19, 2025.

The agenda and minutes list a resolution to open an ARPA fund bank account as "TABLED." The record in the provided minutes is ambiguous: the same block of text also contains a motion line and a separate "unanimously approved" line. The minutes do not include the resolution text or further explanation; the council record as provided is therefore unclear on whether the ARPA account item was formally tabled or approved.

Votes at a glance: - Approve March 11, 2025 called meeting minutes: Motion by Melissa Johnson; second Elizabeth Leger; outcome: unanimously approved. - Approve order of agenda and bills to be paid: Motion by Elizabeth Leger; second W.C. Smith; outcome: unanimously approved. - Approve first-quarter budget amendment: Motion by Elizabeth Leger; second Tonia Gentry; outcome: unanimously approved; dollar amounts not specified in minutes. - Approve signature stamp and signature stamp policy: Motion by Elizabeth Leger; second W.C. Smith; outcome: unanimously approved. - Adopt resolution for SPLOST 23: Motion by Elizabeth Leger; second W.C. Smith; outcome: unanimously approved; resolution text and amounts not specified. - ARPA fund bank account: listed as TABLED on the agenda/minutes; motion lines in the same section create a contradiction and the minutes do not resolve it (see body). - Approve purchase of police safety equipment (SPLOST 17 funding): Motion by W.C. Smith; second Tonia Gentry; outcome: unanimously approved. - Approve final invoice from Smith Electric for pump repair and installation (SPLOST 17 funding): Motion by Elizabeth Leger; second W.C. Smith; outcome: unanimously approved. - Approve produce drop (April 19, 2025): Motion by Elizabeth Leger; second Tonia Gentry; outcome: unanimously approved.

Public comment was recorded with speakers listed as Priscilla Johnson, Mr. Ivey, Buria Davis and Linda Smith; the excerpt provided does not include their remarks.

The council moved into executive session and later adjourned. The meeting record includes Mayor Diane H. Causey and Assistant City Clerk Alisha Bass in the signature block and lists Lonnie Adamson as city manager. The minutes provided do not include dollar figures for budget or resolution texts; where amounts or texts are absent in the minutes, this article states that those details were not specified.

The council is expected to continue routine administrative work at future meetings; no further procedural dates were provided in the excerpt.