The Flint city council will try again Monday to pass a budget for the next fiscal year. Though it’s unclear how many of the nine council members will be able to attend the noon hour special meeting.
The council fell one vote short of passing the $60.9 million spending plan for the next fiscal year last week. Some council members say the budget numbers don’t add up and they want additional information from the mayor’s office.
A major stumbling block is over how federal stimulus money will be spent during the next fiscal year.
“If the CFO doesn’t have the numbers, how do you approve a budget? You can’t,” said Councilwoman Tonya Burns.
But time is running out for the city council to act.
The Flint city charter requires a balanced budget for the next fiscal year to be in place by the first Monday of June.
Ladel Lewis is the Flint city council president. She said the council must approve the budget plan by Monday night or risk violating the city charter.
“We need to do what needs to be done on behalf of the residents. I don’t want to push the button and just wonder what’s going to happen,” said Lewis.
Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley has urged the council to pass the budget plan to “move the Flint community forward.”
