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Audit: City strong financially

By Jim McNally | Statesville R&L

Published: November 18, 2009

Financially speaking, the city of Statesville is holding its own in the economic doldrums that have gripped the nation for the past two years.

That was the message delivered at Monday night's regular council meeting by Robert Taylor, an accountant with the Mooresville firm Potter & Company, P.A.

Taylor, who conducted a state-required private audit on the city's books for the fiscal year 2008-2009, said Statesville "is in strong financial condition."

Taylor said the city's three major operating fund accounts — the general fund, the electric utility fund and the water & sewer utility fund — "were not impacted too bad" and were withstanding the flagging economic conditions.

"I commend your stewardship and the actions you took and the things you put in place to make that happen," he said.

Stewart did say, however, that the utilities "came in way short."

He said that situation was created by the fact that some of the larger utility users "didn't do as well" over the past year and a half.

Taylor said that problem was somewhat mitigated by better-than-expected tax collections.
He said, though, that things may get more difficult if the economy does not pick up.

"You've put some things on hold," he said. "But you can't put them on hold forever."

Also Monday night, the city council:

+ Approved the first reading of new window sign ordinance for businesses in the city's downtown area.
The proposed ordinance would allow central district business owners to use 25 percent of their front window space for signage, up to a total of 20 square feet in size.

The new plan would allow the signage to be divided and limited to a single window pane, which is what current ordinances permit.

Mayor Costi Kutteh said he saw a problem with universal size restrictions.

"It just seems that if you have a wider building, the size would increase proportionately," Kutteh said.

+ The county approved the spending of $75,000 to survey the downtown area in advance of the city's ambitious revitalization plan.

City Engineer Brendon Pritchard told the council that among other things, the survey would determine the "exact dimensions" on downtown street and sidewalk right-of-ways, which will both get major makeovers if the plan is realized.