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but not completely expended--for instance, if there is an <br /> appropriation made to build a $100, 000 police facility and <br /> it is built for $75 , 000 , that may leave $25 , 000 unencumbered <br /> temporarily--it is my understanding that these are the only <br /> funds that the mayor has the privilege to move or transfer. <br /> Because every appropriation has to be duly certified by the <br /> Director of Finance as having monies available. Am I <br /> correct , Mr. Mizuno? <br /> MIZUNO: That ' s correct . <br /> CUSHNIE: It ' s only and after the fact once the <br /> appropriation has been filled to its complete extent , that <br /> money is then unencumbered . <br /> BETHEA: Well , let ' s say you saved some money on one <br /> item, but you want to use it for overtime. Right? Isn' t <br /> that the kind of an issue that comes up and you get back to <br /> who ' s to make that decision, the Council or the mayor? Is <br /> that it? <br /> MIZUNO: That ' s right. According to the Charter , if <br /> you read the section on transfers , it allows the mayor to <br /> authorize these transfers . For instance the $25 , 000 <br /> unencumbered would be transferred to salaries and wages as <br /> long as it ' s within the same agency. <br /> The cloud is that the appropriation was made for the <br /> equipment and not for salaries and wages . <br /> CUSHNIE: I understand that. I was trying to pinpoint <br /> the meaning of unencumbered , in that it is then free. It ' s <br /> not as if we' re robbing from Peter to pay Paul . I don' t see <br /> it as that , as being completely detrimental. But I sit back <br /> and listen. <br /> BETHEA: Well , I understand what you mean. What I 'm <br /> suggesting is that there' s a lot of unnecessary conflicts <br /> that are unproductive. When the Charter isn' t clear and you <br /> get the County Council squabbling about , gee you can' t do <br /> this and the administration saying, well don' t I have any- <br /> thing to administer? <br /> Remember I gave you the fuel tax example where <br /> everybody got the community to try to get the Council the <br /> authority to increase fuel tax to try to repair the roads <br /> and then there was a dispute about where it ' s gonna be <br /> spent. And as Mr. Greenwell suggests , well they don' t trust <br /> the administration to expend it. And at the same time, you <br /> see the Council people from their particular district <br /> saying, well geez , whether I 've got the biggest need or not <br /> I want the money to spend from that . You know, you get that <br /> kind of squabbles . I 'm not suggesting which way it goes. <br /> 268 <br />