Council accepts bid for Memorial Hall tables and chairs, tables curtain reallocation motion but later tables curtain purchase

The Carthage City Council approved a local vendor’s bid for tables, chairs and storage racks for Memorial Hall at a cost under the original $50,000 budget. Council then discussed reallocating approximately $22,000 in savings from that purchase to fund new stage curtains and related hardware.

Staff and council members highlighted that the chosen equipment offered better capacity and warranties at a lower price and that the vendor was local (Carthage Hardware). A motion was made to accept the tables-and-chairs bid and to redirect the $22,000 savings to curtain replacement and rigging. One councilmember objected to reallocating savings outside the formal budget process, saying such transfers should be handled by the Budget, Ways and Means Committee.

After discussion the council voted to table the motion to reallocate the $22,000 so the matter can return to Budget, Ways and Means for review. Staff clarified the back curtain is shredded and nonfunctional, and front curtains have pickup-point/hardware issues that need repair or replacement for safety reasons; the proposed work included new hardware and LED lighting for the stage.

Council directed the matter to the next budget committee meeting and rescheduled a vote on the curtain funding for the next council session so that the committee can consider appropriate budget reallocation.