The past two meetings of the Warner Robins City Council have been well-attended, with more than 50 to 60 residents on hand.

But action on a critical matter – the city’s budget for the fast-approaching new fiscal year – has yet to take place.

Last Thursday a budget discussion did not bring forth the expected fireworks. Instead there was a formal give-and-take among Mayor Shaheen and council members who seem to have spent most of their time together this year leveling charges at each other. So, the news from that meeting was they acted civilly. That’s welcome news as the city has some long-awaited projects it’s trying to get off the ground.

Monday’s pre-meeting, which normally takes place in the upstairs conference room, was moved to the council chambers on the ground floor to accommodate all who attended.

The budget was in the spotlight again, with resident and former city council candidate Art Howard tossing a list of questions about funding for work on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the proposed Law Enforcement Center and other projects. Howard suggested budgets in the future should have stated goals and objectives for each department, some descriptive information on the amounts for each department, and strategic priorities for each department. Those are good suggestions since we all aren’t so well versed in the intricacies of city finances.

Jeannie Duncan of the Jefferson Hills neighborhood pushed questions concerning the proposed sports complex being built off Wellborn Road behind Huntington Middle School. She was particularly curious about rumors concerning a parcel of land at the complex that was going to be sold for commercial purposes.

Mayor Chuck Shaheen assured Duncan “it’s not on our agenda to condemn land” bordered by Ga. 247, Russell Parkway and South Davis Drive. “I don’t see that in the future,” he said.

“The sports complex needs to be rolling along,” said council member Bob Wilbanks. “Kids need to be playing in that complex.”

Then, at the regular meeting, council members got stuck in the mud passing the budget. Wilbanks and council member Mike Daley insisted they needed to see fund balance numbers for all the funds before they could vote on passage.

Shaheen noted that concerns over fund balances were not an issue in the past and questioned why they were brought up now.

For the previous 15 years the budgets were prepared under former Mayor Donald Walker, and city council minutes for the past six years note that public comment was almost nonexistent. Perhaps questions about fund balances are predicated on council members dealing with a mayor helping prepare a city budget for the first time, and there’s logic to that. You have to demonstrate you know what you’re talking about.

The vote was 4-3 to pass the budget, with Daley, Wilbanks and Daron Lee voting against. Voting for were Tom Simms, Paul Shealy, John Williams and Shaheen. But it wasn’t over yet. A motion to waive the second reading of the budget ordinance, which requires a unanimous vote, failed in a similar 4-3 vote.

So the council has to get together again in a special meeting to pass the budget, and soon. July 1 is fast approaching and, as Shaheen noted if it wasn’t approved by then, “the city won’t be able to spend any money.”

It’s an understatement to say the budgeting process has been a learning experience for the city’s inexperienced policy makers, and at least they’re doing it in a professional manner.

About the only bumps in the road came during the public and council comments portion of the meeting.

Tim Thomas, whose father Ray Thomas was on the council for eight years, said he was bothered specific numbers on the budget were not known because his father always had numbers on hand when discussing the budget.

Then, during the council comments, Wilbanks ended his with a question to Shaheen on the status of the law enforcement center, apparently catching the mayor off-guard.

“Let’s not talk about that, Bob,” Shaheen said, shaking his head as an awkward silence followed and the question was not answered.

It could be politics at play here yet again. The center has been the focus of much dissension, misinformation and starts and stops all this year. Lines have been clearly drawn and crossed time and again by Shaheen and the council. It really is time to stop and time to get working together.

While political points are being scored, our law enforcement personnel are working in an old, unfit building with temperatures at times going into the 90s. And summer just started Monday morning.