SPRINGFIELD — Springfield City Commissioner Jim Talley resigned from his Ward 3 seat effective Monday.
Mayor Ralph Hammond announced the resignation at Monday’s City Commission meeting. Talley delivered his letter of resignation to Hammond on Sunday afternoon.
“I had no idea he was leaving,” Hammond said. “I can understand and respect his decision. I know his new job was keeping him busy.”
A month after after being re-elected in April 2013, Talley accepted a promotion with the Panama City Fire Department to division chief. Talley’s division includes training, fire prevention and public education for the department.
“I was struggling, trying to juggle both,” Talley said in an interview. “My responsibilities increased 10 times from my previous role as lieutenant. It was hard to give the board the attention it deserves, especially with some really serious issues they’re dealing with. I was missing too many meetings.”
Talley was elected to the commission four times, serving just over seven years
The city will begin accepting applications immediately for the open seat, which pays $300 per month. The deadline to submit an application is 5 p.m. June 23. Commissioners have 10 days to appoint a new commissioner. They scheduled a special meeting for noon June 26 to make the decision.
Unlike in an election, the commission can choose an applicant from any ward. However, City Clerk Lee Penton noted an applicant from another ward would not be able to run for re-election in 2016 when Ward 3 is up for re-election.
“It’s an honorable thing to do,” Penton said of Talley’s decision to resign. “It’s a huge responsibility. You have to know the pros and cons of everything; they have to be the experts.”
Budget
Also during Monday’s meeting, Hammond said the city has discovered $150,000 it can use to lower the proposed budget deficit to $660,905, making a millage of less than 3.5 a viable option. One mill equates to $1 of tax for every $1,000 of value.
A millage of 3.5 would bring in $685,458, giving the city an excess of $24,553 with the current proposed budget.
“You can’t make money on the millage,” Hammond said. “We would expect the mills to be somewhere between 3.4 and 3.5.”
Finance officer Lauren Laramore said the city is owed $150,000 in unpaid fire assessment fees; the total for the entire city is $430,000. The fees are similar to other city services like trash, water and sewer but paid separately.
Similar to a recent change in code enforcement policy, Laramore said the city will be able to collect delinquent fees by adding that to the particular resident’s property tax bill.
“If they don’t pay, they can bring a certificate of sale against a property,” Laramore said. “Someone can just buy it for taxes owed. We’re confident we’ll collect these fees.”
The fees were instituted last year to pay for hiring six additional firefighters to avoid having the department downgraded by Insurance Services Inc. The consequence of a downgrade would be increased property insurance premiums around the city. The first bill went out last June for 2012-13, the second in February for 2013-14.
The commission previously thought, Hammond said, that delinquent assessment fees would not be available for the budget.
“I was under the impression we could not use that money,” Hammond said.
The collections can be used only for fire department expenses.
In other action Monday, commissioners:
» Approved an IT contract with Aktarius LLC. Hammond said the situation with software for the police department was cleared up between Banyon Pelham of TJ’s Network Consulting and Aktarius. The contract is for $49,500 a year for a full-time employee, Lesley Bakboord.
» Discussed the contract with Waste Management, which provides garbage and trash pickup. Waste Management currently operates two trucks in Springfield four days a week. The company spoke to Hammond about changing service to six trucks one day a week. Hammond and commissioners agreed they would prefer Waste Management stick to the four-day-a-week schedule.
» Approved a property development order for A.M. Lewis Inc. A.M. Lewis plans to build a market-style Family Dollar on a plot across from City Hall on Third Street. Construction could begin as soon as July 1.