Residents may voice their concerns about the city’s irresponsible approach to spending — such as the purchase of brand new vehicles while simultaneously proposing a budget with a $14 million deficit — by contacting their respective city council members.

COLUMBUS, Ga. — “The multiplication of public offices, increase of expense beyond income, growth and entailment of a public debt, are indications soliciting the employment of the pruning knife.” — Thomas Jefferson.

In a primary example of why good intentions do not matter if the effects remain the same, city officials spent nearly two hours debating how increased property taxes would affect CCG’s income, but then immediately turned around and announced the purchase of a brand new 2024 GMC truck.

The fresh-off-the-lot, mint condition, brand new, 2024 year-model truck just cost taxpayers $56,378.00.

During the city council meeting held on June 20, 2023, city councilors spent nearly two hours debating the proposed property tax increase and the $10 million in revenue it is projected to bring in for the city. Councilors were particularly interested in how lowering the millage rate would of course eliminate that $10 million in revenue from the city’s proposed budget.

As a result, city councilors delayed their votes on both the property tax increase and the city’s proposed budget until they could get a better grasp of how it will affect the city’s income. The votes are now slated to occur during the city council meeting on June 27.

However, immediately after the two-hour long discussion, city officials turned around and announced that they had just purchased a brand spankin’ new 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD — a pretty expensive pickup truck — for the Public Works Department. 

To top it all off, the truck wasn’t even purchased from a local dealer here in Columbus, but rather from Glenn Smith Chevrolet in Opelika, Ala.

Apparently the Public Works department needed a brand new current- year-model loaded truck so badly that they had to spend $56k across state lines to get it. It must have truly been a life or death situation, and a previous-year model from a local Columbus dealership certainly would have wreaked havoc on such a dangerous emergency. Please.

Here’s the description provided on page 5 of the City Council Meeting Agenda from June 20, 2023:

“On June 13, 2023, a purchase order was executed for one (1) 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD pickup truck for the Public Works Department due to exigent circumstances, as approved by Council per Resolution No. 067-23. The vehicle was purchased from Glenn Smith Chevrolet, Inc. (Opelika, AL) at a unit price of $56,378.00. The vehicle will be used by Rainwater Division staff as they check and perform maintenance on City sewer lines and watersheds. This is a new vehicle. Funds are budgeted in the FY23 Budget: Sewer (Stormwater) Fund – Public Works – Sewer Maintenance – Light Trucks; 0202-260-3210-SWRM-7722.”

Let’s be absolutely clear about the stark irony of this situation: After debating the city’s financial situation for two hours — which revolves around a $14 million deficit in the proposed budget — city officials turned around and bought a brand new top-of-the-line pickup truck which cost taxpayers over $56k.

No one sees the problem with this? Seriously guys?

Mind you, several brand new vehicles like this are bought just about every single month.

Imagine if your household was spending $14 million more than it earned. Would you be buying a brand new $56,000 truck several times a month? Do you think that would be a wise financial decision?

Perhaps our city officials ought to seriously consider their approach to spending — and perhaps they ought to consider monitoring those with the checkbook the same way you’d watch a teenager’s debit card purchases.

We’d fathom that the findings of such monitoring might be Insanely Huge.

If you dudes and dudettes do not seriously reconsider your approach to spending, your approach to spending is probably going to reconsider you.

Let’s fix it, shall we?

Residents may voice their concerns about the city’s irresponsible approach to spending — such as the purchase of brand new vehicles while simultaneously proposing a budget with a $14 million deficit — by contacting their respective city council members.

Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.

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