Century Looks At Financial Record Keeping And Code Enforcement

August 19, 2008

A major change could be coming in the way Century keeps its financial records, and a the town could return to the code enforcement business.

Those were just two of the items discussed at a lengthy town council meeting Monday night.

The town’s accountant, Robert Hudson, recommended that the council look at switching from the account software Great Plains to Quickbooks.

“It is much, much easier than what they are utilizing now,” he said of Quickbooks. The town spent between $40,000 and $50,000 to get into the Great Plains software package years ago, Hudson said, and it continues to pay for software updates. Quickbooks, he said, would cost under $2,000 for a five user license.

A switch to Quickbooks, Hudson said, would allow better reporting of the town’s financial situation to the council, and it would offer a much easier to use system for town employees.

“I see less Robert if we switch,” Council President Anne Brooks said. Currently, the town pays Hudson to convert Great Plains financial reports generated by the town into simplier Quickbooks reports. That step could be eliminated, Brooks said, saving the town money spent on accountant services. Century has paid Hudson over $20,000 this year for a variety of financial services.

Hudson reported that the town’s budget process would continue with a public meeting Tuesday morning to discuss the budget with department heads. Another such meeting will be held on Monday, August 25 before the final budget is presented to the council on Tuesday, September 2. Public hearings on the budget will be held at 5:01 p.m. on September 11 and September 25.

It was reported that the town has a $380,000 deficit across all accounts.

“We are going to have to sharpen our pencils,” Brooks said.

The council also scheduled a workshop for 9 a.m. on August 28 to discuss code enforcement in the town.

Comments

2 Responses to “Century Looks At Financial Record Keeping And Code Enforcement”

  1. Sylvia Wilson Godwin on August 20th, 2008 1:30 pm

    The fact that we may get code enforcement back is the best news I have heard in a while. Please, I beg as many as can, to come and support this work shop. This is something we have been needing for a long time. It just makes me sick to ride around Century, and see all the junk piled everywhere. Peoples yards and porches are piled up with junk and they seem to care less. If we want to see Century grow, we have to clean it up. Hey let’s get our pride back!

  2. Willene on August 19th, 2008 10:47 pm

    I do pray that the Town of Century will get a strict Code Enforcement. It is a shame that they did away with it in the first place. Just turn on Front Street and just look at the junk at some of these houses. One of them has got to be a junk yard. I have never seen so much junk at someone’s home, it has got to be a new busines in the Town of Century, but there is no sign. I missed the Ribbon cutting .
    “Please” all the people of Century, get behind this and push for code enforcement, take pride in what you have and let the Town Of Century know how you feel. If you don’t you can’t blame no one but yourselfs. And you can say, at least I tried.