Benton Harbor City Commissioners have approved an emergency transfer of $420,000 in city income tax money to the general fund to continue funding regular operations.
On Monday, commissioners narrowly rejected City Manager Alex Little’s request for the funds with some saying they wanted more details about how the dollars would be used. At a special meeting Wednesday night, Little provided those details to them. Commissioner Diedre Fields, one of those who voted no on Monday, said that was a good start.
“The reason I — I speak to myself — voted no was because I didn’t have documentation,” Fields said. “I didn’t have line items. It was as simple as that. This was the third time that I was aware of, and that was the gist of it. Now I have items in front of me, so I have questions.”
Fields and other commissioners grilled Little about why the city uses accounting firm Plante and Moran to handle finances, rather than hiring a finance director. Commissioner Edward Isom said the city is looking for a finance director, but has been having trouble finding a qualified candidate.
Little was also asked about whether a failure to approve the transfer would really lead to a city government shutdown, as Mayor Marcus Muhammad warned at a Wednesday morning press conference. Little said he could only estimate.
“I believe we would probably have been able to get one more paycheck out, and by that time, we’d have to close down, because you wouldn’t be able to operate snow plows, you wouldn’t be able to operate police fire vehicles, you may not even have lights on,” Little said.
Commissioner Juanita Henry, who also voted against the transfer on Monday, said she’s pleased this temporary impasse led to some transparency. Mayor Pro Tem Shaquille Turner, who called the special meeting, had a request for Little.
“Going forward, I’ve asked that anytime we’re dealing with finances that we have line items,” Turner said. “Can you make sure that it be noted today that anytime a commissioner has questions regarding finances, we have this before us?”
Little said he doesn’t know if that’s possible, but he’ll try.
Commissioners then voted six to one to approve the tax money transfer. Commissioner Ethel Clark Griffin voted no, while Commissioner Sharon Henderson and Mayor Muhammad weren’t present. Muhammad said earlier he was to be in Lansing to meet with Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday and would miss the meeting.
