Mayor Calls Saturday Meeting to Pass Temporary Appropriations

Unlike most people in the blocks around City Hall, the nine council members will likely have a sober St. Patrick's Day.

At noon on Saturday, before many hours of budget meetings, the council will meet to pass temporary appropriations to pay the city's bill through April. 

Earlier in the year, the city council passed temporary appropriations, that were 26.5 percent of last year's budget. (the percentage is mandated by the state) That temporary budget funded the city for the first three months of the year. To pay the bills through April, Zimmer said, more appropriations need to be passed. 

The appropriations on the table on Saturday are regular—not emergency—appropriations, after the Department of Community Affairs allowed the city to pass another temporary budget. 

In her memo, the mayor wrote that because the state extended the budget deadline, another round of temporary appropriations is allowed. This resolution needs five votes and will likely pass with the five majority council members voting "yes."

Roughly $750,000 in temporary emergency appropriations—which Mayor Dawn Zimmer said need to be passed to run the city and pay its fire fighters through April—

The four minority members have consistently voted , saying the final 2012 budget should be passed before any other appropriations go through. Temporary emergency appropriations need six votes to pass. 

The emergency appropriations included funding for the city's , salary and wages for the fire fighters,and more.