Political notebook: A minute late, $159 million short | Politics | Macon.com

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Robert Reichert thanked commissioners this week for their unanimity in passing the consolidated government’s first annual budget of $159 million. That vote took place Monday, the last day of the old fiscal year. Nobody got everything they wanted, and some commissioners had to “swallow hard,” but their final agreement sent a strong signal that the city-county merger is working out, Reichert said.

The vote was 8-0, with Commissioner Gary Bechtel voting via Skype. The only absence was Commissioner Mallory Jones, who explained on Tuesday.

“I came in at 5:05 and you had already passed the budget,” Jones said. After repeatedly revising funding for outside agencies in committee meetings, commissioners didn’t hold any last-minute debates before the budget’s final passage.

via Political notebook: A minute late, $159 million short | Politics | Macon.com.