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Blythewood council flags $528,000 Manor shortfall, orders accounting fixes and consultant search
Summary
At a May 5 budget work session, Blythewood council identified input errors that inflated Manor expenses, noted a projected $528,000 deficit, directed staff to correct budget documents and to research municipal accounting consultants and platforms for presentation on May 27.
Blythewood Town Council members said the Manor’s finances showed serious errors and directed staff to correct figures, assess structural options and return options for outside financial help.
At a special called budget work session on May 5, Mayor S. Griffin and council members reviewed the proposed FY2025/26 budget and identified likely input errors that overstated building supplies and meter equipment, inflating Manor expenses by nearly $100,000. The minutes record the Manor’s projected deficit as "approximately $528,000 in expenses against $210,000 in revenue." Council members described that gap as a key concern for the facility’s financial viability.
Council members discussed whether to convert The Manor to an enterprise fund—separating revenue-generating operations from general-government costs—to allow clearer tracking of event-related revenue and park/community-service expenses. Members noted that conversion would require allocating shared staff costs and increase administrative complexity but said the clarity could justify the effort.
The council also concluded that the Town’s current accounting software, QuickBooks, no longer meets Blythewood’s needs. Council members endorsed researching a municipal accounting platform with real-time reporting and dashboards and supported hiring a financial consultant to manage a transition and provide training. Interim Town Administrator Ed Driggers was assigned to research consultant options and return recommendations by the May 27 meeting.
Councilors supported creating clearer capital reserve and pro forma projection tools, and discussed framing a restricted capital replacement or depreciation-style account to set aside annual amounts for infrastructure needs (HVAC, roofing, equipment) rather than facing large one-time costs.
The minutes show the council approved the meeting agenda earlier in the session (recorded as "All in favor; 5-0" in the minutes) even though the roll call noted Councilwoman A. Fripp had given prior notice she would not attend; the minutes do not reconcile that discrepancy. Staff will correct and recirculate updated budget documents by May 16 and prepare a proposed budget ordinance for first reading on May 27.
