Well, it had to be gratifying to Mayor Bob Coble to be able to send out this notice, which I just received via e-mail:
I am attaching a copy of the City’s monthly Bank and Investment Reconciliation Statement from Jeff Palen. All City bank accounts and investment accounts are reconciled and current. The current City Financial Statement can be found at http://www.columbiasc.net/finance. Bill Ellis reports that the current budget’s expenses are $6.1 million under budget through March 1st. Thanks
Attached was this PDF of the treasurer’s report.
These last few years of fiscal turmoil threatened to leave a cloud over Mayor Bob’s departure from office. Voters would rightly remember that he and the other six council members had the watch when the city couldn’t close its books, and was so in the fog that it was paying some bills multiple times.
Congratulations to the mayor, the council and acting City Manager Steve Gantt for getting Columbia back to this point. Now it will be up to the new mayor and council to ensure the financial house stays in order going forward.