Message from the Mayor
Photo by Sunlight Photo
My first month as your Mayor has been very interesting to say the least. We have changed the way we handle our trash and as you know we are now hauling our garbage to Cowley at a savings of $63,000 dollars per year. I think there are even greater savings to be had in this area and I can tell you we are actively pursuing them, as soon as we have more information it will be passed on to you.
There have been changes at the Aquatic center; our director has elected to leave us and we wish her well in the future in whatever she does. With a little restructuring in personal we were able to cut our expenses considerably. We still need to look for ways to cut our operation losses at the Aquatic center, City Staff is exploring all options and we will come up with an operation plan that will fit our budget. We cannot continue to absorb the losses that we have incurred in the past.
Speaking of budgets it is that time of year again, City Staff is putting together a revenue picture for next year. I wish I had a crystal ball and could accurately predict what that might be but I don’t. The only thing I can tell you is that our General fund reserve is 1.2 million dollars which is dangerously low, our auditors tell us it should be at a minimum of 3 million dollars. One way or the other we are going to have to make sure that our reserves do not go any lower and hopefully we can start to build them back to where they should be. To do that we are going to have to tighten our purse strings and this will mean there will have to be cuts made in areas that probably won’t be to popular. I am sure that the City Council, I and the city staff will be up to the task, and we will do what’s in the best interest of the City of Powell.
I am much honored to be your mayor and look forward to serving you for the next four years. I intend to use this space as not so much as a message from the Mayor but more of a Newsletter to keep you informed as far as to what each department in the City is doing, what projects they are involved in and how those projects might affect you and your neighborhood.
Don E. Hillman
Mayor
City of Powell
dhillman@cityofpowell.com
Don Hillman
