The citizens of Bogalusa have the opportunity to view the proposed 2019 city budget before it is voted upon at the next Bogalusa City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 8.

On Saturday, Bogalusa City Council member Gloria Kates invited local citizens to a meeting at Bogalusa City Hall to review the budget draft document. In addition, Kates invited citizens to take notes and come up with any questions they may have about the upcoming year’s budget.

The public will be allowed to speak pertaining the 2019 budget, when that item comes up for vote in the Tuesday, Jan. 8, meeting agenda.

About 15 citizens came to Saturday’s discussion meeting. Among them was Tamira Smith, who had been serving on the Bogalusa City Council, but was not re-elected and will not have a vote at the Jan. 8 meeting. Kates did earn re-election.

Kates noted that citizens have a variety of methods to view the budget draft.

It is available at Bogalusa City Hall, and individuals can make copies of the budget for a nominal fee, as it is a public document. However, it should be noted that this budget document is only a draft, and will not be official until the council votes upon it.

Kates said that she would also seek for a copy of the budget draft to be placed in the Bogalusa Branch Library.

As no other city council members were present at Saturday’s meeting, it was not considered a council meeting for the purposes of any official city action. Kates explained that it was simply an “informational meeting.”

“Thank you for taking your time out of your busy schedule to sit in on this special meeting for the citizens,” Kates said Saturday. “This is an informational meeting only. This is not a ‘last grab of power’ as mentioned in social media; this is continued practice of transparency to the citizens of Bogalusa.”