Members of Florence City Council, with the mayor leading the effort, need to change the way funds distributed to local groups are accounted for.
Under the present policy, there is no requirement that the group show the city how the money is spent.
If the group returns the next year and requests funding again, the council can ask for them to document how the money was spent the previous year.
That’s what we get from city officials explanation of the way the system works.
Right now, many questions are being raised about how money that was given to a “committee,” including City Council member Ed Robinson, was spent for a “Junteenth” festival.
The festival, which wasn’t held until questions were raised, finally took place last weekend, according to a news report by WBTW News13.
The current system for accountability doesn’t work.
And we aren’t just talking about money given to Robinson’s group.
If the city is going to distribute accommodations tax money to these groups, they should have to account for it after a reasonable amount of time — say 30 days or 60 days after the event is over.
That’s reasonable.
After all it’s public money.
And it goes to plenty of different organizations that take care to spend the money correctly.
We don’t think they would mind having to account for those funds.
What needs to happen now is for the current council to propose a change in the process.
It takes somebody on council to come up with a proposal.
And it takes somebody on council to second that proposal.
And then we need to see how council votes on the issue.
In other words, to the mayor and city council, make a change in your policy so the public knows how its tax dollars are being spent.
That’s not too much to ask.
And we certainly plan on asking candidates for mayor and city council their position on this issue, as well.
Call or write the mayor and council members and ask them to take a stand.
Florence is waiting.
And in the future, if funding is requested for any group to which a city council member belongs, that member should not vote on the matter.
It only makes good sense.
Let it not only be right, but let it look right, as well.
The next meeting of Florence City Council is Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. at the City/County Complex.
Let’s see what happens.
Unfortunately, there are no indications the council will do anything.
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