SAFFORD — Staff proposal for the city to join the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce turned into spirited debate over the process of adding or subtracting items in the city’s proposed budget.
During a review of the proposed budget, Mayor Jason Kouts questioned the need for $1,500 to join the Hispanic Chamber.
“I just feel like the local Hispanic Heritage stays here,” Kouts said.
“Hispanic Heritage and the Chamber of Commerce are two completely different things,” said Council Steve McGaughey.
“They are,” Kouts said. “I don’t know what the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is going to do for us at $1,500.”
City Manager John Casella said it was not staff’s intention to sneak anything past the council and, given the mayor’s resistance to the payment, the proposal to join the Hispanic Chamber could be removed from the proposed budget and brought back for discussion next year.
Vice Mayor Richard Ortega said he was in favor of joining the Hispanic Chamber on a one-year basis, in order to see if that chamber could help attract more people to Safford.
Given the debate, Casella said this might be a good time to review the city’s opverall policy on contributions, specifically to nonprofit organizations.
“We have donations in the budget right now that, apparently, repeat every year. But we’re not providing an opportunity for other requests for those same types of donation,” Casella said. “So I think, at some point down the road, we should probably have a process that reviews donations in their entirety, and maybe institute something where there’s an application process where 501(c)(3)s in the community can request if they want to be part of that discussion.”
Kouts said that, going forward, he wanted additions or changes to the proposed budget brought forward during a work session rather than at a regular meeting.
Kouts also added, “I’m just not in favor of this budget; I’ll be voting no on this budget anyway.”
Staff is a proposing a 3-percent increase in the city’s budget in 2021-22. The budget must be approved by June 30 to go into effect by the start of the next fiscal year July 1.
