By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
As the city’s businesses slowly reopens under Gov. Stitt’s “Open Up and Recover Safely” plan, Piedmont leaders are studying the budget and revenue shortfalls in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Businesses may be slow recovering customers or services, and sales tax revenues from April and May are expected to have taken a significant drop.
But the sales tax revenues that were reported Monday from the Oklahoma Tax Commission for early March are not as bad as feared, said City Manager Jason Orr. The revenue was $220,749 for the latest period, down 10% from the same reporting period in 2019.
A budget committee consisting of Mayor Kurt Mayabb, City Councilman John Brown, Ward IV, City Councilman Kevan Blasdel, Ward I, and resident Zach Weldon met Tuesday and Wednesday in budget workshops. The report will be presented to the city council when the final budget is considered at the next regular meeting on Monday, May 18. The current fiscal year budget is about $10,444,811.
Two city employees were recently laid off, but Orr said he does not anticipate there will be more layoffs.
Orr said use tax revenue has increased with the number of people working or sheltering at home who have been shopping online.
He said he is encouraged that businesses will continue to slowly recover.
The city council races are still set for Tuesday, June 30. In Ward III incumbent Albert “Al” Gleichmann will face challengers Ryan Austin Redus, Megan Dawson and Austin Rohrs. In Ward V, incumbent Melissa Ashford faces Mandy Swatek.
Ashford said she is frustrated the budget process has been slow this year.
“I’m disappointed in how long it’s taking the budget committee to get their stuff together as we, the City Council, had told the City Manager we’d have it to him by May 11th so we could vote on it at this month’s meeting,” Ashford said.
“This is the longest it’s ever taken the budget committee to do their job since I’ve been on the Council. There are a few Council members that are frustrated at this year’s process and I, completely, understand their feelings,” Ashford said.
She said the city council campaign was halted.
“As for the campaign, I’m looking forward to getting back out there and visiting with the citizens. I had a lot of really good feedback before Covid-19 suspended my campaign.
My family and I are excited to get the signs back out there and we’re ready to hit the streets again.”
“I wish everyone a good campaign and hope everyone experiences the same wonderful people I have on this journey,” Ashford said.
