At Monday nights council meeting, Mayor Joe Luginski announced the way City of the Village of Clarkston conducts business is illegal. Luginski said city auditors informed the city of the problem last week.
The errors are not intentional, however, Luginski said.
‘We are just a group of volunteers,? he said.
According to City Clerk Sandy Miller, the auditor said the way City Council spends money and approves some projects is considered illegal.
‘When we approve projects not even on the agenda, it’s the wrong way of doing things,? Miller said.
Council frequently discusses projects and votes on them at the same city council meeting, without knowing how they will be funded.
Miller said each time money is spent for projects, the money must first be allocated from the appropriate fund in the budget.
‘We need to know where the money is coming from before it is approved,” she said.
During Monday’s meeting, Luginski said once council makes a resolution to spend the money, the state of Michigan considers it already spent.
Luginski also said various city committees need to meet more often, present reports and know what projects they want to complete ahead of time rather than coming before the council, asking for the money and getting projects approved the same day.
During the meeting examples of the wrongdoing was discussed including the approval to pave Womphole Drive and approving plans for a bridge on the same day residents donated money for the project.
Miller said at the Sept., 8 meeting paving Womphole was not on the agenda, but discussed by council before the project was approved with the stipulations that it would cost $2,000 or less.
‘Because we were on a time frame to get the paving project done, the council did not want to delay it another meeting,? Miller said. ‘But it was not even the resolution on the agenda. We made up a resolution at the council meeting which would have been fine if knew where money was coming from in the budget.?
Miller added the money must be accounted for. Luginski said council must make sure the money is draw from the correct item lines in the budget before any action is taken.
City Manager Carol Eberhardt said the city staff will work harder to ensure the accounting of various city business are done before meetings.
City Attorney Tom Ryan often attends meetings and is tasked with ensuring council follows the law. Ryan was not in attendance at the meeting, so he could not comment on the legality of the way the city conducts businesses.