The city of McAlester gave.

Now, some with the city want to take away.

That’s one of the matters on the agenda for the regular city council meeting set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday in the Council Chambers at City hall.

An item placed on the agenda by Acting City Manager Pete Stasiak asks the city council to issue 30 days notice to three different organizations that the city wants to cut funding to them that the council had already approved for the current 2009-2010 Fiscal year.

The three groups are the McAlester Economic Development Service, Oklahomans for Independent Living and Pride in McAlester.

Earlier this year, the city of McAlester allocated funds to the three groups as part of the budget for the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year, which began on July 1.

The item placed on the agenda for the Tuesday night meeting by Acting City Manager Stasiak asks the council to approve a 10 percent funding cut for each entity over a seven-month period of time. If approved, the funding cuts would go into effect after MEDS, OIL and Pride in McAlester are given the 30-day notice.

During an earlier meeting, the city council had agreed to fund $219,850 to MEDS for the current fiscal year; to fund Oklahomans for Independent Living by $24,000, and to fund Pride in McAlester — which is the award-winning private volunteer group responsible for much of the clean-up in the city — by $60,000.

If Stasiak’s measure on the Tuesday night meeting agenda is approved, then MEDS would lose $21,850 in funding for the seven months that would remain in the fiscal year after the measure would go into effect, according to city documents.

Oklahomans for Independent Living would lose $2,400, while Pride in McAlester would lose $6,000.

That would leave the amount at which the city would fund MEDS for December 2009 through June 2010 at $15,180.04 per month.

The amount the city would fund Oklahomans for Independent Living would drop to $1,657.14 per month for the last seven months of the fiscal year.

Funding from the city to Pride in McAlester would be cut to $4,142.86 monthly, over the same time period.

The council had heard at its Nov. 10 meeting earlier this month that the city is cutting expenses to help make up for a decline in sales tax collections.

Also, during its Nov. 10 meeting, the city council had met in a closed executive session before emerging to take a public vote approving raising Stasiak’s salary by approximately $14,000, up to $90,000 per year.

Stasiak began serving as acting city manager after previous City Manager Mark Roath asked to be released from his contract so he could accept a job as city manager in Alamogordo, N.M.

Other items on this week’s meeting agenda include:

• A public hearing on an ordinance to amend the city budget for the current fiscal year and a public hearing on amending Ordinance 2331 relating to establishing the McAlester City Emergency Ambulance Fund.

• A Financial report and presentation from the city’s Chief Financial Officer, Gayla Duke.

• Consideration and action amending the city’s budget for the current 2009-2010 Fiscal Year.

Among the items listed on the budget measure is a “need to include a transfer to the Gifts and Contributions Fund for Americans with Disability Act Compliance dedicated funds of $32,957 and a prior year donation for park repairs of $5,000.”

Also cited is a “need to record and transfer from the Economic Development Fund” to cover expenses paid in the General Fund for the Steven Taylor Industrial Park clean-up.

• The city council is also to consider whether to repeal or amend Ordinance 2331, which amended a previous code and is related to establishing the McAlester City Emergency Ambulance Fund.

Stasiak’s recommendation is that the “Emergency Ambulance function of the Primary Government” be included as a separate item in the government-wide statement of activities in the city’s annual financial report.

• Consider and act upon a resolution to declare certain building as dangerous by reason of dilapidation and recommended for removal. The two buildings are at 1812 Cardinal Lane and at 821 Indiana Ave. — the house owned by Joyce Ramsey, which had been the subject of a lawsuit brought by the city, until the city recently dropped the court action.

• Consider and act upon a measure to authorize Mayor Kevin Priddle to sign a lease-purchase agreement with Landfill Equipment for lease of a refurbished 2006 D7 dozer and a refurbished 2010 Al-Jon 81 K trash compactor. Prices were not listed on the agenda.

In addition to the regular agenda, the city council also plans to enter into a closed-door executive session meeting on Tuesday night.

The only item on the executive session agenda calls for the city council to “discuss the employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining or resignation of any individual salaried public or public employee: City manager.”

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.