Council will require POs to be filled

Faced with rising monthly bills, the Flomaton Town Council stated Monday night it will no longer pay bills unless the item was bought with a previously obtained purchase order.

Earlier in the meeting the council agreed to transfer $28,224.65 from the municipal court fund to the General Fund. Town Attorney Chuck Johns said that while those funds are restricted to be used by the court, the town's General Fund spent the $28,224.65 on the magistrate's salary before the court began generating enough money to cover the cost.

Mayor Dewey Bondurant said even with the corrections fund, the town would need to transfer funds from other departments or borrow money from the line of credit to pay last month's bills of about $94,000.

Council members voiced their concerns over several bills where purchases were made with no purchase order. One was about $2,500 for a garage door at the fire station for the new ambulance.

“I'm ready to send these bills back to where they came from,” said Councilwoman Lillian Dean.

Town Clerk Shila Carter there are times she will get the bill before a purchase order.

Mayor Bondurant said that practice has got to stop.

“Anything purchased needs to have a purchase order,” Bondurant said. “Anything that comes in without a purchase order will not be paid. Nothing is to be done without a purchase order.”

“This is a serious problem,” the mayor added. “If somebody calls me about a garage door I need a price.”

“Send it back to the fire department and let them pay it,” Dean said.

Councilman Jim Johnson said if the new ambulance service decides to work 24 hour shifts the town will need to spend some money to create sleeping quarters.

“I'm glad, as long as I've been here, we've got a mayor and council concerned about funds,” said Councilman Buster Crapps.

The council voted unanimously to approve the bills and transfer money if needed.

Take home vehicles

Town Attorney Chuck Johns told the council it needs to address its vehicle take-home policy for employees in wake of new changes in IRS regulations.

Johns told the council there are some possible taxable benefits employees receive by taking town-owned vehicles home at night.

He said he will talk with the town's accountant and work to create new policies and procedures on the matter.