Piedmont council hires JSU to help Piedmont control costs

The Piedmont City Council agreed to several measures Tuesday aimed at reducing city spending, but more cuts may come as the city also agreed to ask experts for advice.  In a work session Monday council members had discussed several ways the city could raise money and cut spending, including freezing employee pay raises and a one-cent sales tax increase. In all, the council considered 10 such proposals Tuesday.  Council members agreed Tuesday to hire Jacksonville State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research to analyze the city’s spending and recommend improvements. The analysis is estimated to cost around $14,000 to complete. Council members also approved a motion to charge the city’s school system for garbage collection, officials estimated would save the city about $1,500 monthly.  The council also agreed to discontinue city-owned credit cards used to pay for fuel for Piedmont city school vehicles. The city currently pays for less than $400 worth of fuel each month for the school’s maintenance vehicle and other school-owned transportation.  Council members also agreed to require city department heads to track their departments’ utility costs, and work to reduce that spending. A motion to increase the city’s sales tax by one cent, bringing it up to 10 cents for every dollar spent died for the lack of a second.