By Bonnie Culverhouse
Minden Mayor Terry Gardner intends to place the City’s budget on next week’s council agenda for the sixth time.
Gardner sent an email to council members last week after meeting with Human Resources Manager, April Aguilar, District A Councilman Wayne Edwards and Michael Fluhr, Interim City Clerk.
“After an hour long discussion, I feel as though a compromise has been made,” Gardner said. “Ms. Aguilar has agreed to a 6 percent increase upon her anniversary date.”
In a previous email sent by Gardner, the following three areas of concern were addressed by Edwards and the mayor:
A. Keeping the council more informed;
B. Including Council members in the hiring and pay negotiations of key employees; and,
C. The pay increase of the HR Manager.
“I feel now that all of these concerns have been addressed and once again I am asking for (the council’s) support on adoption of the 2021/2022 budget on November 1 at our City Council meeting to help move our city forward,” Gardner said. “I would be more than happy to meet for breakfast or lunch to discuss.”
The only council person responding to Gardner’s email was District B Councilwoman Terika Williams-Walker.
“I’m not in agreement,” she said.
The City of Minden is currently operating on 50 percent of last year’s budget. Once that money is depleted, the State of Louisiana will enter the picture.
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