Council conditions some disbursements on publication of six‑month financial statement

The Pleasant Valley City Council voted to approve certain expenditures with a condition that funds not be dispersed until the required six‑month financial statement is prepared and published, a staff member said. The statement covers the fiscal period ending 12/31/24 and was dated 01/24/25 in the meeting packet.

The motion, offered by Miss Chatham during the council's budget discussion, cited ordinance section 110.11 and said the treasurer must publish the report before payments are released. "According to our ordinances, section 110.11, no money of [the] city [is] to be dispersed until [a] statement is published," Miss Chatham said, adding that a treasurer who violates the section "shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor." She moved to approve expenditures with the caveat that disbursements be withheld until the statement appears in the local paper; another council member seconded the motion.

Council members discussed practical implications of the condition. One member asked whether pausing disbursements would delay payments generally; Miss Chatham acknowledged it "will mean we're not gonna pay bills on time," and the group noted that late fees or other penalties could result for outstanding obligations. Several members indicated the city had been in contact with the treasurer, who said the earliest he could prepare the statement was the 24th (as reported at the meeting).

Members also reviewed budget line items and noted timing issues stemming from the city's cash‑basis accounting: bills received in December but paid in January may appear in the current year's budget under cash accounting. Staff noted some categories—office expenses, uniforms and vehicle repair—were running higher than expected and recommended closer month‑to‑month review. The council discussed the option of amending the current year's budget to better reflect obligations that shifted between reporting periods.

The council's action was procedural (to condition disbursements) rather than an immediate grant of authority to withhold all payments; the motion as recorded asked that payments be held until the required financial statement was published, and members agreed to follow up with staff to reconcile packet updates and ledger postings. The council did not specify exact follow‑up deadlines beyond the expectation that the treasurer prepare and publish the statement.