VIDALIA — Alderman voted to table adopting a 2018-2019 fiscal year budget during a Thursday afternoon special-called meeting of the Vidalia Mayor and Board of Aldermen after a couple of aldermen wanted more clarity in how revenue would be disbursed.

The same issue was brought up during last Friday’s meeting in which the board agreed to amend the current 2017-2018 fiscal year budget as a routine, end-of-year matter required to adjust for variances that otherwise would have put the town out of compliance with state law. The budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year was introduced by Mayor Buz Craft during the same meeting, and a vote for approval never took place.

During Thursday’s meeting, Alderwoman Sabrina Doré asked Craft why retention payments to city employees and a hydro-electric rebate were not included in the budget he presented.

Retention payments are an additional payment to employees toward the end of the year if they agree to stay on with the city for another year, Doré said.

“If that is a priority of yours … why would you not go ahead and budget that in the beginning and make certain that it is available?” Doré said.

Craft said he would like to see that happen.

“If we have the money, I hope that we can (include retention payments),” Craft said. “If it’s available I would like to be certain that (the aldermen) would approve to (pay the employees) at that time. … There were some employees that didn’t accept the retention payments. … We will find out later exactly what that dollar amount would be.”

The issue ultimately led aldermen not to approve the budget Craft had presented, tabling the issue until aldermen can get a clear projection of the retention and rebate payments as well as a plan for repairing Vidalia streets.

“Our budget should not be so tight … that (borrowing money) should ever be an issue,” Doré said. “We should have a 10 percent spread in revenues and expenditures.”

Doré said retention payments are important to her.

“I want to make sure our priorities were in the budget,” Doré said after the meeting, “and our people are a priority and our employees are priority. I wanted to make sure that money is included in the budget.”

Alderman Jon Betts voted to accept the budget as it was presented while aldermen Doré, Tron McCoy, and Tommy Probst voted to hold the budget until more funds could be appropriated.

“(The budget) is a guide,” Craft said. “It appropriates funds for us to run the town. … What we’ve got is an operating budget for us to pay our bills. … Things will come up that we will have to do. If (the aldermen) want to include (those payments) we will, but we’re not going to know what that amount is.”

Aldermen have until June 30 to adopt a budget but there is no penalty for missing the deadline, Doré said, adding the city could wait until January to approve the fiscal year budget without any repercussion other than a “finding” in an audit.