A special called meeting of the Russellville City Council was held Thursday, June 24.

Council passed the amended budget for Fiscal Year 2003/2004 after assistant city clerk Bob Riggs conducted a second reading of the amendment.

Legal fees were discussed when Riggs told Council the city budgeted $59,600 last fiscal year for legal/professional costs, but the city went over that line item, spending some $145,376 total.

The line item is separated to include legal/professional fees for the city and legal fees for the council. The 2003-2004 budget allotted $47,600 to pay certain city legal/professional costs including the city attorney, auditor, planning & zoning, and computer assistance.

Council was allocated another $12,000, but spent $66,925, all of which went for the Electric Plant Board investigation.

"How much money did Bob make last year?" asked Councilwoman Jean Hankins referring to city attorney Bob Hedges. Mayor Shirlee Yassney said Hedges normally makes between $20,000 to $25,000 annually but this year his costs went up $9,600, due to the EPB/Council battle, bringing the total to $30,821.

Councilman Ken Barrett, before approving the amendment, questioned why there was no money allocated for council's legal fees for the 2004/2005 budgeted year. "As far as Council is concerned you don't have anything down," said Barrett to Yassney.

"Nobody put anything in when working on the budget," responded Yassney. "You have to find your own money just like you did last fiscal year." Councilwoman Marie Sweatt said she felt someone needed to check into that.

"After the first of the year we can't hire anyone," said Barrett.

Mayor Yassney told him he could amend the budget if he chose to and said she was hoping the council wouldn't need to spend any more money.

"I hope we don't either," said Barrett loudly, "but I don't want to be there and have it not be there." Barrett went on to say, "It's like getting into a car and going somewhere and you ain't got any gas. It's kind of scary. I think somebody is trying to sneak something.".

Yassney informed Barrett that the budget was right in front of him.

The 2003/2004 amendment passed unanimously with Councilwoman Pat Bell absent.

Yassney said the city had to pull surplus funds from other city departments to cover the overage in the legal/professional line item.