BY SANDI P. BEASON


Daily Journal


OKOLONA - Despite Okolona's push to improve and beautify the community, it is haunted by lingering problems.


A tight city budget makes it difficult to keep spending within bounds on even small expenditures. Councilmen cannot agree on the mayor's salary. A host of new city ordinances has residents in an uproar.


On many of the thorniest issues, black and white residents do not see eye to eye.


"We know that's one of the crippling attributes of the city," said Mayor Sherman Carouthers, of the city's racial difficulties. "It's evident through (residents') actions. Each individual needs to take a look in the mirror. Are we Christians? We go to church each Sunday and pretend to be.


"True Christians don't act that way."


According to figures from the 2000 Census, Okolona's racial makeup is roughly 60 percent African-American and 40 percent white. It has experienced race problems for decades, often causing the city's school system and economy to suffer.


John Holloway, who served as Okolona's mayor from 1997 to 2001, said during his term, a bi-racial committee was established to address problems of race.


"I had each alderman to appoint a person out of their ward to form a committee for the future of Okolona," he said. 


The group met once, he said, and a second meeting never materialized.


"I did my best, and (Carouthers) is doing the best he can," Holloway said. "I wish him the best."


Carouthers said he is currently trying to organize a meeting with the city's ministerial association to discuss how to bring people together.


"People are in three groups: Those that make things happen, those that watch things happen and those that sit back and wonder what happened," he said.


His goal, Carouthers said, is to make all city leaders visionaries who work for the good of the city as a whole.





Money matters


An audit on the city's 2002 finances showed several departments had spent more than they were budgeted.


"In the City General Fund, expenditures exceeded the amount budgeted by $19,862 and expenditures in excess of revenues exceeded the budget by $27,843," the audit findings read. "In the Park and Recreation fund, expenditures exceeded the amount budgeted by $1,421 and expenditures in excess of revenues exceeded the budget by $1,421."


The findings also showed that the Fire Protection fund went over budget $4,541, and the industrial park fund went over budget $1,138, with expenditures over revenues by $4,815.


"In the past, the city's financial condition has not been as stressed as it is now," said Wanda Ellis, accountant who conducted the audit. Ellis said she has personally performed audits on the city's finances since 1984, and the firm where she works, Watkins, Ward & Stafford, had done the audit annually for nearly 40 years.


Ellis cited loss of businesses and slow growth as contributors to the problem.


The audit finding recommended the city amend its budget to avoid making expenditures in excess of budget appropriations. 


"Close attention is being paid to avoid any future instances of non-compliance in this area," read the city's response.





Salary struggle


Another of Okolona's hot-button issues is the mayor's salary. Currently, he earns $18,000 per year, but in September 2001, the city council voted to include a $40,000 allowance in the city budget for his salary.


After that vote, the council never passed a motion to increase the actual payout. The issue resurfaced in January, when the mayor entered a claim for payment for backpay since October 2001.


The motion to pay the claim did not pass.


Ward 1 Councilman Larry Hall said the position of mayor has always been a part-time job, and most past mayors didn't need a pay raise.


"I just don't think Okolona is ready for a full-time mayor," he said. "You're there and you hear the budget woes we've got. We're close to and over (budget) with some things. We're fixing to have to amend the budget and do some things. I don't think we're ready for that (salary increase)."


In February, an audit performed on the city's finances revealed that the mayor had been overpaid more than $2,000.


"There is a significant amount of controversy over the amount that the mayor should have been paid," read the city's response to the finding. "It appears that this controversy will be determined in a court of law."


Carouthers said he has not taken legal action, adding, "I have turned it over to my personal legal team, and my legal team will definitely handle those issues."





Beautification pains


More recently, city residents have been in an uproar over four city ordinances passed by councilmen in March. 


The animal control ordinance, which faces sharpest criticism, requires pet owners to pay a $45 registration fee annually for unaltered pets and a $10 registration fee for altered pets. 


The ordinance went into effect April 11, but will not be enforced until discussions are complete, Carouthers said. A work session to review the ordinances is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1 at City Hall. 


The ordinances' author, Andrew Smith, CEO of Small Towns and Rural Communities Planning Associates, repeatedly declined comment.


"This is a bad, bad ordinance," said Ward 2 Councilman Bill Reifers. "I am as guilty as everything. I made a mistake, and I want to do something about it."