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Bolivar mayor flags roughly $29,000 library funding shortfall; council to await county response
Summary
Mayor told the council the county-approved contribution to the public library is smaller than the budgeted share, leaving the city about $29,000 short; he asked council to delay any action while he consults the county and the mayor before deciding on a budget amendment.
Mayor (speaker S1) told the council the county’s approved contribution to the Bolivar Public Library is “about 29,000 short of what we put in our budget.”
The mayor said the discrepancy was new this week and asked the council not to take action immediately, giving him time to speak with Mayor Paulson/Post and county officials. “I found out about it last week,” the mayor said, adding that he did not want to press the county on election day and preferred to report back when he had definitive figures.
Council members objected to the idea of the city absorbing the shortfall. One council member (S6) warned, “Truthfully, I mean, we can't afford to eat it,” noting the general fund already had limited reserves after a recent fire-truck expense. Council members pressed the mayor for the county’s intended share and for documentation of the county’s budget submission.
The mayor said the city would likely handle the missing cost through a budget amendment if the county does not cover the difference, but he asked the council to wait for confirmation before deciding. The exact monthly contribution amounts reported in the meeting included transcribed figures that appeared inconsistent; council characterized the shortfall in multiple places as roughly $29,000.
Next steps: the mayor will confer with county officials and provide an update to the council, at which point members will decide whether to request that the county pay more or to enact a city budget amendment.
