An attempt to introduce a balanced budget for Prichard’s current fiscal year stalled Thursday night when a City Council member voted against the measure, citing concerns about the accuracy of its revenue projections.
Councilwoman Severia Campbell-Morris said she could not support the proposed budget without an independent review from a certified public accountant, arguing that no one with formal expertise in municipal budgeting had verified the figures compiled by council members.
"I am not in agreement with the projected revenue," Campbell-Morris said during Thursday’s meeting, adding that she considered the numbers too optimistic given the city’s financial track record.
The failure to introduce the budget leaves Prichard, a small city in Mobile County with a long history of financial strain, without a formally adopted spending plan for the fiscal year already underway. City officials have grappled for years with tight finances, and the city spent time in state oversight during a prior financial emergency, making budget accuracy a particularly sensitive issue for council members and residents alike.
Other council members expressed frustration with the delay, noting that the city needs an approved budget to plan spending on core services, including public safety, public works and administrative operations. Without an adopted budget, city departments typically continue operating under interim spending authority until council members can reach agreement.
Campbell-Morris’s request for an outside accountant to examine the numbers reflects broader concerns among some council members about the reliability of internal financial reporting in a city that has struggled with budget shortfalls in the past. Supporters of an independent review argue that outside verification could help avoid mid-year shortfalls that have plagued the city’s finances previously.
City leaders have not announced a specific timeline for when the budget might be reintroduced, though officials said further discussion is expected in the council’s coming meetings. The delay adds to a series of governance challenges facing Prichard, where officials have simultaneously worked on efforts including blight removal and public safety initiatives while managing constrained resources.
Residents and city employees who depend on clarity around municipal spending will likely be watching closely as council members work toward resolving the disagreement over revenue projections in the weeks ahead.