DAPHNE — City Council member Cathy Barnette makes no secret that she’s concerned about Daphne’s fiscal future.

She spoke about her concerns last month when city leaders debated a pay raise for city police and firefighters.

Most recently, Barnette said that council needs to know, upfront, the costs of annexing the Belforest community east of Daphne.

Those kinds of past concerns — coupled with a general uneasiness about future project expenses — prompted her to request that some extra attention be paid to city finances, she said.

“What I’m wanting is for City Clerk David Cohen to do some budget forecasting and projections,” Barnette said in a telephone interview Thursday morning.

“Ultimately what I’m hoping is that he will produce information to help us look at the city’s finances — so we can assess trends, know what percentage is growth and how we are doing,” she said.

“I especially want that analysis so that we’ll have this information as we move toward the next budget year.”

Barnette said she understands that individual sales tax revenues are considered confidential.

“And I have no problem with that, since I don’t personally want to see this information from any of the companies,” she said. “But David Cohen can do that since he is officially the keeper of the city’s records.”

Cohen also has the professional expertise to do this kind of analysis, Barnette said.

“What I do want to see is a budget analysis so that we can do an adequate forecast as we try to understand the financial picture of Daphne,” she said.

Barnette said a family emergency prevented her from attending Monday’s council meeting.

As a result, she said she asked to have this item removed from the evening’s agenda.

Part of Monday’s council packet was a letter from Mayor Fred Small stating his objections to providing this requested financial information.

His letter stated that he can “provide the revenues as a monthly lump sum and not for individual businesses” as had been requested.

“My concern is personal liability, which carries a criminal offense, for being the ‘first line of release’ of confidential information,” his letter stated.

According to Small, information was being sought for Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Terry Thompson Chevrolet, Winn Dixie, Lowe’s and Harley Davidson.

Small said he had checked with the League of Municipalities about responding to this request.

That organization suggested a “formal action by City Council whereby the release of information on these individual tax payers is authorized,” his letter states.

He was on vacation this week and did not attend Monday’s meeting.

In response to Small’s letter, Barnette said she believes some misunderstanding may have occurred.

“I’m wondering if he (Small) didn’t misinterpret this to mean that I want this information personally. That’s not what I’m seeking,” Barnette said.

Barnette said she isn’t sure how to proceed with this request, but she plans to pursue it.

“I still want this forecast done, it’s just a matter of determining the best way to do it. If it needs a formal council motion, that’s fine,” she said.