by Mari Radtke
The Primghar city office endured the departure of all staff in the fall of 2023. The City Clerk position has been filled, but the candidate cannot start until summer. During this transitionary time, Jessica Whitney, hired as Deputy Clerk, has largely held down the fort. A second deputy has recently been hired. Whitney came to the city without training or experience. While the city’s financial tracking have largely kept pace some tasks have slipped. Reconciling the bank account is behind as far back as September 2023. Another task, which is critical for each department to know where they stand financially, is the fund transfers.
With the assistance of former city clerk DeeAnn Lansink, the need for those transfers has been identified and were all approved by resolution on Wednesday March 13.
Funds from the Emergency Fund were tranferred to the General Fund in June. The Park Investment Fund moved funds to the General Fund to pay for the playground equipment. Donations are still coming into that fund and are very helpful and greatly appreciated. The Library Investment Fund also moved money to the General Fund to cover unbudgeted spending along with some grants. Local Option Sales Tax Funds were moved to the General Fund from June. This is a standard transfer to be made in June.
Funds from TIF 1 went to Debt Service for principal and interest on GO bonds for Industrial Park street pavement projects payments. TIF 3 made its second payment to the electric funds out of a 10-year plan and portions went to a General Obligation (GO) bond. Property assessment growth in TIF 3 has enabled repayment of the bonds.
Transfers from the Sewer Fund to pay for the 2006 Sinking Fund. This bond has 3 years of principal and interest payments remaining. It will then become a bond for the wastewater project. An interest only for the new wastewater project. Lansink said, “I need to do a sinking fund for that one – get that established.” She went on to tell Council, “The Electric Revenue Bond – we have a lot of bond. We have a lot of debt bond, so this is doing – this is the one that should have been done on a monthly basis.” , these sinking fund ones. So that’s the value of it for the whole fiscal year.”
On Wednesday, Council’s approval of the transfers was the money from the housing fund. Amounts to each city department investment funds had been previously approved by council, but no resolution to transfer the funds out of the housing fund could be found. The absence of resolutions for transfers was a finding in the city’s audit. Lansink said the housing transfers had been sat on for 2 years and didn’t understand it. This would get it done.
Primghar Clean up Days are Friday and Saturday April 12 & 13. Items must be on the curb Friday. The hazmat trailer will be brought to the fire station. The date will be announced after arrangements are made.