Town Manager would like to pay the bills faster

Usually, the motion to pay invoices is approved in council chambers without much discussion, expect for maybe a comment on how expensive everything is becoming.

But a list of invoices, totalling just over $10,200, presented to Spaniard’s Bay council earlier this month did provoke some discussion.

Council met on April 3, the first Monday of the month. The list of invoices had been complied by the agenda cut off date of Thursday, May 30.

“That’s one of the things about having a meeting early in the month — a lot of places we do business with wait until the end of the month to send out their statement or their invoices,” explained Town Manager Tony Ryan during his monthly update. “So, we will have the majority of our invoices from last month arrive within the last few days.”

Ryan said his concern is that if Town does business with a company near the end of the month, council may not receive the invoice until after the list of invoices is approved, meaning that it won’t be approved for payment until the following meeting.

“So, you’re looking at almost a two-month span, and I think that’s a bit much, “said Ryan. “That’s where we usually run into issues. “

Mayor David Brazil said most companies give a 30-day interest free grace period.

“But after that, they’re not so kind,” said Brazil.

The motion to approve the invoices passed unanimously, and Ryan’s comments followed on the heels of that approval, but no further motions relating to the scheduling of meetings was discussed.