Providence Council okays $7.7 million dollar budget

By CHARLIE HUST

Providence City Council held reading of it’s Annual Budget Ordinance during regular session Monday night in the Council Chambers.

The total budget, $7,803,410 shows a slight rise from last year’s total of $7,776,290.

The budget ordinance passed with a unanimous vote with all members present except Shannon Layton.

In other business, two new Tourism Committee members were appointed, filling the expired terms of Stephanie Cross and Kathryn Turner. Christy Higdon and Nancy Palmer will fill those seats for three-year terms.

Mayor Eddie Gooch thanked Cross and Turner for their service and dedication to the Tourism Committee.

Councilman Scotty Frederick advised the Mayor that he had received several complaints about the condition of Lakeview Cemetery. Councilwoman Dolores Overby also asked if the road running through the cemetery would be re-paved this summer.

Mayor Gooch noted that city workers would attend to the cemetery as soon as possible but he doubted that paving would be possible.

Councilman Doug Hammers noted that he had received complaints about several vacant properties around the city including the Valerie Brock home eon North Broadway and a property on Barbour Street with a clutter of cars sitting around.

The issue of 911 calls was also discussed at the meeting and Gooch informed council members that if a 911 call is made from the Verizon Wireless network, the call is routed to the Webster County 911 Emergency Dispatch system.

“We need a signature from Webster Judge-Executive Jim Townsend to get this changed so those calls will go through our system. We will definitely be pursing that signature,” Gooch stated.

The mayor also emphasized that the security cameras at Westerfield Park would be configured this week so the park can be monitored live by Police dispatch in hopes of curtailing vandalism.

In public appeals, Willie Torain presented the city with a plague for  its help in “making the Rosenwald Center Memorial Day celebration a huge success”. Torain also stated that the sewer odor on Westerfield Drive had decreased dramatically and he thanked the city for its continued efforts in eliminating the problem.