Main Street Beaufort contribution among cuts in city's budget proposal

City departments aren't alone in feeling the squeeze as Beaufort City Council moves closer to passing the next fiscal year's budget.



At a public hearing before a first reading for the proposed budget Tuesday, more than a dozen supporters of Main Street Beaufort spoke against the city's plan not to include in the budget what had been a $40,000 a year contribution. The speakers included former City Councilman Mike Sutton, who wanted clarification on how the money for Main Street devolved from being a line item in the budget.



"My gut is telling me you're making a mistake," Sutton said.



A second reading of the budget ordinance will be June 23, and the budget must be passed by the end of the month.



The hearing prompted some finger-pointing about who was responsible for a perceived lack of economic development downtown.



Mayor Billy Keyserling argued that Main Street, a nonprofit organization representing downtown businesses, has not done enough to fulfill part of its mission of growing business and filling vacant buildings. Main Street supporters countered with the fact the city's Redevelopment Commission was in organizational limbo.



Keyserling pointed out that parking revenue, which in recent years funded the Main Street contribution, was $65,000 in the red with the experimental free two-hour parking.



Council members said if the free trial ends as expected, it could create money for downtown, though they stopped short of promising the money to Main Street.



Councilman George O'Kelley said the city had little choice but to make tough cuts. He pointed to departments like Beaufort Police that were forced to shelve requested purchases to make the budget work.



"Don't look at us as the bad guys trying to cut Main Street," O'Kelley said. "We're not."



A couple of years ago, the city's police went from sewn on bars for rank to those that pin on to save a few dollars, Chief Matt Clancy said after presenting his department's requested budget last month. He said cars now stay on the road longer than they used to.



When he presented his department's budget, he was confident it was as bare as possible.



"There's no fluff or anything in there," he said. "It's what we need to get our job done."



The city gave him less, with the warning that it was at a dead-end road in the face of declining revenue.



Among the key requests put on hold as the city scrambled to balance its budget:

• Nearly $153,000 to replace three aging Ford police patrol cars and a 2006 Chevy Tahoe
  
  
  
  
• More than $40,000 for playground equipment at Waterfront Park and Tic Toc Park, along with saying no to new furniture and flower baskets other places
  
  
  
  
• Nearly $28,000 for new construction equipment, including a grader, bushhog and Lowboy trailer
  
  
  
  
• $10,000 for tire-balancing equipment for vehicle maintenance
  
  
  
  

"I said you've got to hold it until you see the revenue comes in," city manager Bill Prokop said after presenting the recommended budget. "The revenue comes in, we can start to do something."



The question of where that money will come from was laid out in seven initiatives, including streamlining committees, growing business and a possible fee for tax-exempt properties.



While it waits for a possible new revenue stream, Main Street Beaufort will look at its own $350,000 budget and prepare for possible belt-tightening moving forward.



Main Street board chairman Charlie Williams, owner of The CraftSeller, said sometimes the truth hurts. He said the organization still hopes to receive some money from the city.



"We have a downtown people want to come to," Modern Jewelers owner Kevin Cuppia said. "We have to cherish that."

Follow reporter Stephen Fastenau at twitter.com/IPBG_Stephen.

This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 9:40 AM with the headline "Main Street Beaufort contribution among cuts in city's budget proposal."