City Clerk Kaneilia Williams responded Monday to an alderman’s opinion that outside firms should not be completing basic functions within the city clerk’s office.
Ward 2 Alderman Dr. Jack Varner has been very vocal in the past and even purchased political advertisements stating that the city clerk’s office should be responsible in handling payroll and completing the city board minutes. He said contracting outside firms to complete those operations has been costly and “ridiculous.”
But during the Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting Monday, Williams said the city clerk’s office is handling its affairs properly.
“This office will continue to provide exceptional service to the city of Yazoo City,” Williams said.
Williams said payroll is completed by the city clerk’s office, and it is a complicated process that her office carries out regularly.
“Payroll is more than just entering numbers and time into a system and printing a paycheck,” Williams said. “It is a difficult and detailed process that involves insurance coverage, withholdings, paying garnishments, bankruptcies, payroll taxes, reconciling payroll tax reports quarterly, reconciling of the annual filing of the W2s, 1099s, 1095s and 941s; all of which are completed by the office of the city clerk.”
Varner said the city clerk, not the board attorney, should also complete the board minutes of the city council. Williams said the board attorney has a minor role in the process.
“City attorneys have the role and responsibility to proofread board meeting minutes,” she said. “Currently, that role is carried out with minor corrections.”
Varner has also said he would like to see more funds dedicated to the striping, overlay and general maintenance of city streets. But Williams said those funds should have been secured prior to the approval of the city budget and even before the approval of the recent salary raise across the city council, which she said was “irresponsible.”
Williams said the budget process begins in May and is completed by Sept. 15 of each fiscal year.
“During this process, department heads and city officials have the opportunity to add items such as striping, maintenance and overlay of streets to the budget,” Williams said. “Mentioning this after the budget cycle and after the recommendation and approval of a $40,000 board pay increase was fiscally irresponsible and does a disservice to the citizens of Yazoo City.”
Williams added that the $40,000 board salary increase and $134,000 for employee wage increases came from funds that became available after the large reduction in the solid waste department.
The city of Yazoo City also completed its first audit with no reported issues for the first time in 12 years, Williams said.
“We will also continue to follow the municipal government laws of the state of Mississippi and the advice of the CPA in regards to the appropriate management of the finances of the city of Yazoo City,” Williams concluded.
However, Varner pointed out that the recent city docket showed a payment of $2,700 to a Clarksdale accounting firm to complete work within the city clerk’s office.
“With three people in that office, that is on the verge of ridiculous,” Varner said.
