ROCK SPRINGS — Once again, Rock Springs City Councilman Rick Milonas voted against the city paying its bills and claims during Tuesday night’s Council meeting, a vote that along with two absences and an abstention, resulted in a narrow five-vote approval of the agenda item.
The bills and claims are exactly that – bills submitted to the city for various services and utilities. Milonas voted against paying the bills and claims during the Sept. 2 meeting. When asked by SweetwaterNOW what bills he opposed, he stated that there were many bills he disagreed with, without specifying a single payment that needed to be held and investigated further.
Following the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting, Milonas again didn’t single out specific bills he took issue with.
“It’s always something every time,” he said.
Milonas also said he is the only Council member caring about the bills and claims.
“Nobody seems to care but me,” Milonas said.
Two other Council members interviewed by SweetwaterNOW said they read through the bills list before a meeting, saying the city is obligated to pay its bills.
“We have to pay our bills,” Council President Jeannie Demas said. “Otherwise we would be in small claims court.”
Demas said she reads through the bills a few days before the meeting, saying they’re made easily available to Council members for review days prior to a meeting. Demas also expressed concern that people would be hesitant to do business with the city if the Council failed to approve paying city bills.
Councilman Larry Hickerson said he looks through the bills prior to a meeting as well and echoed the importance of ensuring the city pays them. Hickerson said city employees are also willing to talk about specific bills and help Council members understand what the service the city was billed for, as well as why bills are for the amount they’re listed at.
An example Hickerson mentioned involves the city’s golf course; the electricity bill for the Rock Springs Civic Center can be three times higher than the golf course’s. He said that may look out of place at first until a person sees the bills were issued in February when the golf course is closed.
“Once you ask the question, the people who know will answer it,” Hickerson said.
Hickerson said the city’s bills have come in at approximately the budgeted amount or slightly below budget, saying Rock Springs’ expenses are in line with similar-sized communities in the state.
