Granite Shoals puts controversial finances to rest
Granite Shoals leaders applauded the city’s new finance director for getting the fiscal house back in order. Kevin Rule presented a formal fiscal year 2022-23 budget adjustment during the City Council meeting on July 9, bringing a long-term controversy of unanswered questions to a close one year after deadline.
“This (adjustment), in my opinion as a finance director, is a little late,” Rule told the council. “But there is nothing wrong with it coming forward at this time. Going forward, our budgets will be done in a timely fashion.”
According to Rule, budget adjustments are typically made as needed when unexpected expenditures pop up or changes have to be made mid-year. These adjustments must be officially approved by the council in an open meeting. The council unanimously approved Rule’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget adjustment on Tuesday night.
Granite Shoals was $1.5 million over budget for 2022-23. Rule was hired in May 2024 and has since cleaned up last year’s budget discrepancies. This week’s budget adjustment clarifies the numbers and shows exactly how the city spent its money and where it came from.
“What, in essence, this does is it makes us compliant with the expenditures that we did in last year’s budget,” Rule said. “This really is just to move past (the 2022-23 budget) so we can focus on the remaining three months (of this budget cycle) here and then the new budget that we have coming forward.”
The 2022-23 budget adjustment is available here.
“Having Kevin in the office is certainly an asset,” City Manager Sarah Novo told DailyTrib.com following Tuesday’s meeting. “He’s skilled at what he does, and it is wonderful having somebody paying full-time attention to our budget. We’re right in the middle of the budget cycle, and everything looks to be on track.”
Granite Shoals will receive its certified property values on July 25, which will allow for more solid planning for the fiscal year 2024-25 budget.
The city plans to hold public budget workshops on the following dates:
- Tuesday, July 16
- Tuesday, July 30
- Tuesday, Aug. 6
- Tuesday, Sept. 3
The new fiscal year officially begins on Oct. 1.
“I am so happy that we have you here to help us go through these budget amendments,” Mayor Pro-tem Steve Hougen told Rule following his presentation.
“Where were you the last few months?” joked Councilor Judy Salvaggio. “We’re very happy to have you here now.”