Each council member this year received $15,000 in discretionary funds and a $5,000 travel allowance.
With no traveling this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, council members transferred that $5,000 to their discretionary funds accounts except Councilmen Jimmy Hughes, D-2nd Ward, and Mike Ray, D-4th Ward, who will have it done at Wednesday’s meeting.
The discretionary money goes toward community and nonprofit organizations and their activities or expenses as well as certain city projects.
As Wednesday is the last regularly scheduled meeting this year, council members are left with either using the money or losing it.
Council President DeMaine Kitchen isn’t using any of his $20,000.