Selma’s financial crisis was the biggest subject at Tuesday’s City Council meeting at City Hall.

Councilwoman and President Pro Tem Angela Benjamin presided over the meeting in the absence of President Corey Bowie. The council’s last meeting of the year will be held on Dec. 11

Councilman John Leashore suggested the council vote to bring back some of the 68 laid off city employees, but it was voted down.

“You can’t pick certain employees to come back,” Councilman Sam Randolph said. “The whole thing is a make-believe layoff.”

“I’d rather bring back all 68 employees, but there’s a process,” Leashore said. “There’s seniority and minimum wage. We can’t bring them all back. We had a chance to put smiles on people’s faces at Christmas.”

Councilwoman Jannie Thomas said she couldn’t vote on selecting between the laid off workers because it’s unfair.

“I’m not going to pick out employees,” Thomas said. “We’re supposed to stand for and do what’s right.”

Councilman Michael Johnson recommended the council pass a 1 cent sales tax for a year until a vote is taken on the ad valorem tax.

“We need to think about getting the workers back,” Johnson said. “I talked to someone from the finance office and she said, ‘the city’s broke.’‘’

Johnson and Leashore both shot down Randolph’s theory about the city having money.

“I keep hearing we have money, but we’re broke,’’ Johnson said. “We need to come up with new revenue. We’re in trouble.”

Councilwoman Miah Jackson reminded the council of the auditor’s report of the city finances.

“The auditor just told us that our expenditures outweigh our revenue,” Jackson said. “We need to be fiscally responsible.”

Benjamin said the council plans to meet with Selma City Schools Superintendent Dr. Avis Williams in the near future over discussion of the $400,000 that has been earmarked for education since 1982.

Johnson said it’s unfair to take money from the students.

Councilman Carl Bowline said equipment for the Selma Fire Department (SFD) and Selma Police Department (SPD) he purchased through discretionary money needs to get paid for. Bowline said he ordered the suits for the SFD and bullet proof vests for the SFD in August and the bill hasn’t been paid. He wants the bill to get paid by Dec. 15.