COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) – The City of Columbus mayor spoke on the challenges in this year’s budget.

Columbus Mayor Stephen Jones said one of the biggest challenges in this year’s budget was making sure the city could afford new spending without creating financial problems in future years.

Jones said city leaders worked to reduce millions of dollars in spending requests while protecting reserve funds and avoiding a tax increase.

The mayor said while officials want to remain competitive with employee pay, they also have to make sure the city can continue covering those costs in future years.

Jones said a growing reserve fund gives the city flexibility for major projects and unexpected expenses but should not be relied on for recurring costs like payroll.

“You really want to make sure that your income goes up when you’re giving raises to employees, or you’re going to be able to sustain it every year,” Jones said. “If you spend one million on salary this year from reserves, you’ll have to take out another million the next year.”

Jones said maintaining those reserves also helps the city continue investing in projects like the Riverwalk Amphitheater while keeping the budget balanced and avoiding a tax increase for residents.