Council presses for detailed budget as Frederick Manley seeks two‑week youth program pilot

Frederick Manley presented a proposal from Georgia Youth Impact Project to run a scaled two-week pilot summer program that would focus on violence prevention (anger management and conflict-resolution) and literacy enrichment. The proposed pilot would run Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a target enrollment of about 25 children and staffing of two certified teachers and one coach.

Council Member Mandy Neese said she had concerns about ensuring competitive hourly wages for certified staff (the packet cited $22–$25 per hour) and questioned the accuracy of the program's estimated funding costs. Council asked Mr. Manley to provide audited financial statements and a more detailed budget breakdown showing staffing, activities and transportation costs before the council could commit city funds. Mayor Jake Ayers committed to meet with Mr. Manley this week to discuss what might be feasible for a scaled summer program.

Council noted the city’s 2025–2026 budget is already in process and emphasized the budget timeline requires months of advance planning, so any funding decision would need to align with that calendar. Staff discussed low- or no-cost local field trip options and possible borrowed transportation from local churches and the potential to expand the program in future years if the pilot demonstrates feasibility.