Hopefuls get taste of city finances; candidates for 3 open commission spots learn how budget is developed

Candidates for the Fort Scott City Commission were given a crash course in budget in preparation for the upcoming forum.

Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin and Fort Scott Assistant City Manager Susan Brown hosted a meeting at City Hall this week in which all four candidates running for the three open seats on the commission were given an update on the city's budget and what goes into its planning.

"I thought it was very helpful. It's going to give us a chance to look over the priorities for the city and to view the budget so that we have some information, should we be elected," commission hopeful Cindy Bartelsmeyer said.

Bartelsmeyer said she hopes information presented at Wednesday's meeting will help when questions are asked during the March 29 candidate forum at Fort Scott Middle School, 1105 E 12th.

Incumbent commissioners Gary Bukowski and Jean Parker agreed the meeting would have been helpful when they first ran for the panel. Bukowski said he had been to commission meetings prior to his election and had worked on an audit of the city's budget 25 years ago, however, he did not have much knowledge of how the budget was developed.

"I didn't have much insight as to what the city's budget was made up of," he said.

Parker added that when she first ran for office two years ago, she was just hoping for the best with little knowledge to go on.

"It would have given me a little bit of a clue ... I didn't see a budget the first go-around, I just put my name in the pot and hoped for the best," Parker said.

With the city beginning to collect data in the preparation for the 2012 budget, candidates were also given insight into what their role, if elected, would be in planning the budget. Through work sessions, commissioners will have several opportunities to be involved.

"I think it will be interesting to see the proposals and counter-proposals," commission candidate Tom Gorman said.

It has yet to be determined if meetings like this will be held each time there is a city commission election, but some feel it would be helpful.

"I think that every two years, it wouldn't hurt a bit to get the candidates together, especially the new ones, and let them know what's going on or give them some suggestions about what they'd be looking at if elected," Bukowski said.

The general election will be held on April 5. The top two vote-getters will receive the four-year terms and the third-place finisher will receive a two-year term.

Those positions are currently held by Mayor Dick Hedges, Gary Bukowski and Jean Parker, respectively.

Hedges is not seeking re-election.