Last night’s meeting of the Town of Jonesboro’s board of aldermen was mostly about next year’s budget. About an hour of the hour-and-a-half long meeting was spent reviewing many of the line items of the document.
Total revenues and expenses for the general fund budget are estimated at $3,049,250.00.
One area of discussion was the streets account.
District B’s Renee Stringer questioned why only $75 thousand was allotted to street repair and maintenance in an overall budget of over $900 thousand. Mayor Leslie Thompson admitted, “We may not do too much street repair” this year.
Another question asked was whether money that had come from a $169 thousand certificate of deposit (CD) cashed last February had been replaced. The mayor said it had not, but claimed that money had been “set aside” to do that.
A $10 thousand line item for entertainment and marketing was also questioned. Thompson said he wanted to do another town concert, and that it may be Country & Western or Raggae themed.
“I surely want for the people of Jonesboro to be able to have some of the same kinds of outings or opportunities to go to,” Thompson said.
Earlier in the meeting, a resolution approving an exchange deed between the town and O’Neal Gas for land adjacent to the Greater North Louisiana Community Development Corporation (GNLCDC) was approved. The parcel is part of the acreage involved in a land deal between the town and GNLCDC that has bee a source of controversy for nearly a year.
The resolution passed on a 3-1 vote, with Stringer voting no.
Also at the meeting, a resolution was passed setting the property tax millage rates for the tax year 2011. The rates are the same as last year.
We will next week be getting copies of the general fund budget, enterprise budget and the tax millage resolution and will post them when received.
The next meeting of the council will be Thursday, June 30, when a 5:00 PM public hearing will be held for public comment on the budget.
Lincoln Parish News Online 
06/25/2011 at 11:33 am |
$10,000 line item for entertainment? What the heck does that jerk mean when he says wants something for the town to enjoy? What he should have said, is that it is for the black community to enjoy at the town’s expense. Put this money where it is really needed. Maybe it could go toward street repairs & maintenance since they only set aside $75,000. At least that would be USEFUL!
Same old crap for the same old crapper.
06/25/2011 at 12:21 pm |
Can I be a ticket seller at the door? One for the town, one for me…
06/26/2011 at 12:47 am |
I’m hoping that this one would be free, so people can support the mayor and council. I think the Mayor is trying to give town something that would bring it together. Country & Western is a good idea. Hope he gets that Tim McGraw , know what I mean. See Y’all there
06/26/2011 at 10:38 am |
Are you brain washed ? He is just playing another game , it’s called the butt kissing game, just to put it the nice way !
06/26/2011 at 11:29 am |
People need to have the services provided that is expected of local government. Entertainment is not a requisite in order for local government to function properly. Entertaining the idea of oversight of local budget should be entertaining enough, that in fact would provide the services needed to right the listing ship. Tax dollars should be utilized toward their intended purpose, not a self edification agenda with a country theme to appease the red necks. Following the mandates set forth by the Local Budget Act, Revised Statutes, etc. would be a wonderful first step toward reconciliation, no pun intended. Accountability would bring all parties closer and give the general public something to begin to evaluate to try to determine if they do in fact deserve the support that most government officials would appreciate. The theme song for this is the same song that was song for two years running, only difference is the beat and the lyrics. Yeehaww.
06/26/2011 at 1:28 pm |
To Singer of Blues: Another good article. I believe you are Jessie Campbell under another moniker.
06/27/2011 at 8:51 am |
After seeing the line items for the budget, all I can say is that I am glad I don’t live in Jonesboro. The best thing the mayor can give the citzens of his town is a resignation letter. No management would be better than this poor excuse of a human.
06/27/2011 at 9:19 am |
Just goes to show how naive the mayor is. He does not have a clue. He doesn’t GET IT………even when Jonesboro is going down the tube!!!!!!!
06/27/2011 at 9:36 am |
Maybe there can be a public poll in Jonesboro to see if a concert costing $10,000 is desired.
With the cost of the CFO lady, maybe it is not a good year to have a concert…..unless the company producing the concert belongs to the mayor or his supporters, then by all means, have a concert for them to make a little extra cash.
06/27/2011 at 11:50 am |
That’s a drop in the bucket, 10,000 dollars. When you spend 12,500 and you only come up with 3,675.The people of this town must wake up and allow change to take place.My thing is that it’s worst now than it was four years ago. The people vote for this change and now it is what is . Learn to love it.
06/27/2011 at 3:48 pm |
People always screaming Change Change Change , if this is the way Change is I would like to go back to the old way of life ! Wake Up the IDIOT will never get it and don’t want to get it ! For a town that is in the “RED” I wouldn’t be worried about a stupid concert. How about finding out where he goes when he heads south on he weekends with out the town sticker on his car ! How about finding out why the “DA” want come to a town meeting so he can inlighten people just why he want press charge’s on this man. How much more of this crap does people have to put up with before something is done ! WELL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
06/27/2011 at 10:13 pm |
Fed up:
They (mayor & D.A.) are “indebted” to each other. You know…….you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. They are two peas in a pod. Do not expect the corrput D.A. to do anything. He will not.
06/28/2011 at 12:05 am |
I know that their in bed with each other, but I say it’s time to put the pea’s in the old pea sheller and let it spit out the bad ones in the trash!
06/28/2011 at 7:43 pm |
How do we get the pea sheller working?
06/28/2011 at 5:19 pm |
Fed up:
Amen to that.
06/29/2011 at 5:03 pm |
Quoting from Abbott:
A $10 thousand line item for entertainment and marketing was also questioned. Thompson said he wanted to do another town concert, and that it may be Country & Western or Raggae themed.
“I surely want for the people of Jonesboro to be able to have some of the same kinds of outings or opportunities to go to,” Thompson said.
Lets start with sidewalks, skate parks, and summer activities for the kids…..a concert is for adults.