Oak Ridge Today

Guest column: Baughn lists budget-cutting proposals to reduce tax rate

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

During our May 13 and May 28 meetings, the Oak Ridge City Council will determine your property tax rate for the next year via our annual budget. Our decision will directly affect your personal finances. Of greater consequence, however, we will establish our city’s competitive position.

Currently, Oak Ridge has the third-highest property tax rate in East Tennessee at $2.39 when you add in the Anderson County rate of $2.35. Each penny of our rate equals approximately $90,000 of spending. We have a tremendous opportunity to make Oak Ridge more competitive and attractive to prospective residents and businesses without sacrificing our quality of life.

In addition to increasing our revenues (I’ve suggested converting select city-owned assets into taxable properties, eliminating tax abatements, and negotiating voluntary payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements), we must ensure the highest and best use of each and every penny you entrust to us.

During our deliberations, I will make the following motions to immediately reduce our tax rate and/or improve our marketability to outsiders: [Read more…]

Council to consider budget amendments in special meeting Thursday

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

Chuck Hope

Chuck Hope

The Oak Ridge City Council could consider a dozen budget amendments Thursday evening that were postponed on Monday, a series of proposals that could increase spending in some areas or cut it in others.

Nine of the amendments have been proposed by Oak Ridge City Council member Trina Baughn, and three were recommended by Council member Chuck Hope.

Baughn’s proposals could reduce spending on municipal travel by 20 percent, the Oak Ridge Public Library by roughly $950,000, and Recreation and Parks Department funding by 10 percent, among other things.

Hope’s proposals would add $500,000 funding in the city’s general fund for spending in three areas: economic development, capital maintenance, and to study the relocation of Fire Station No. 2 to Melton Lake Drive. [Read more…]

Council members clash over Baughn’s budget-cutting proposals

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

Charlie Hensley

Charlie Hensley

Several Oak Ridge City Council members clashed on Monday as they debated a few last-minute proposals to reduce city spending in some areas and increase it in others.

Most of the debate centered on proposals submitted by Oak Ridge City Council member Trina Baughn. She asked the City Council to consider nine budget-cutting proposals and consider selling the Centennial Golf Course and the property used by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, among other things.

Baughn said she represents the citizens of Oak Ridge and is trying to find the highest and best use of city-owned property. She has previously said she would like to lower the property tax rate and has advocated for a more limited government. [Read more…]

With revenues down, Oak Ridge Schools could cut 18 positions, six could lose jobs

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Bob Smallridge

Bob Smallridge

Revenues could be down about $1 million, and Oak Ridge Schools officials have recommended cutting 18 positions, including roughly eight teaching spots.

Six employees could lose their jobs, Oak Ridge Interim Superintendent Bob Smallridge said during a special meeting Monday. The rest of the cuts could occur through retirements and employees taking new jobs, among other things.

The 18 reductions could save about $1.1 million, Smallridge said. One special education teaching position would be added. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge superintendent presents budget tonight

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Bob Smallridge

Bob Smallridge

Oak Ridge Schools Interim Superintendent Bob Smallridge will present a budget to the Board of Education during a meeting this evening.

The special meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in Board Room at the School Administration Building, which is at 304 New York Ave.

It’s the first in a series of six meetings between today and May 23. The school system’s budget could be presented to the Oak Ridge City Council on May 28. [Read more…]

Council considers budget with no tax increase, less money for Chamber, ORCVB

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider a budget that does not raise property taxes but could cut funding for the Chamber of Commerce as well as the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

It would include contracts with economic development consultants Ray Evans and Steve Jones and a 1 percent cost-of-living pay raise for city employees.

Under the budget proposed by Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, the property tax rate would stay at $2.39 per $100 of assessed value. [Read more…]

Frank proposes cuts in county property tax rate, law director’s budget

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Note: This story was last updated at 9:46 p.m.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank on Wednesday proposed cutting the property tax rate by 1.62 cents and reducing the county law director’s budget by 16.5 percent.

It would be a $52,069 decrease in the budget of Anderson County Law Director Jay Yeager, who said he would have to lay off one of his two staff members.

Frank proposed reducing the property tax rate by 1.62 cents through a restructuring of the Alternatives to Incarceration Program, a relatively new program that lost its director in March. [Read more…]

Clinton budget: no tax hike

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Information from WYSH Radio

The Clinton City Council held its budget workshop on Monday, and as presented, the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 is balanced with no property tax increase for city residents.

The budget leaves the property tax rate at 76 cents per $100 of assessed value while providing 2 percent pay raises for city workers and taking into account projected increases of between 5 and 20 percent in employee-related and liability insurance. [Read more…]

Anderson County officials discuss budget Monday evening

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Terry Frank

Terry Frank

Spending requests have exceeded expected revenues by more than $4 million, mostly because of a proposal to hire more jailers, and Anderson County officials will discuss the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 during a Monday evening workshop.

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Budget Director Chris Phillips have said they plan to present a balanced budget that does not raise taxes but still provides core services.

County officials have said projected revenues are down slightly, or about 98 percent of what they are in the current fiscal year. There has been a slight increase in property assessments, but sales and business tax revenues are projected to be down. [Read more…]

Guest column: Anderson County officials present budget highlights

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By Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank and Budget Director Chris Phillips

As Anderson County government begins the budget process for the 2013/2014 county budget, we wanted to share with the citizens, elected officials, county employees, and all interested parties some of the challenges and opportunities that we face in presenting our County Commission with a balanced, no-tax-increase budget while still providing core services.

Upon first request from all departments, the county’s general fund budget is out of balance by more than $4 million, expenditures over revenues.

Revenues are initially projected at 98 percent of our current year levels. Property assessments (growth) have a slight increase, while things like sales tax and business tax are projected to be down to some extent. While the county’s general fund is not heavily dependent upon federal revenue, budget woes at the federal level have caused concern about some of the revenues that we do receive. [Read more…]

Watson’s budget proposes same tax rate, less funding for Chamber, ORCVB

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

The budget proposed by Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson on Monday would not raise property taxes, but it would slash funding for the Chamber of Commerce, and Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The ORCVB funding could be cut from $410,000 to $300,000, Watson told City Council members during a Monday night work session. The city needs “more heads in beds,” more people staying here and more events, Watson said.

The chamber’s contract with the city is now worth about $260,000. The city could instead use $125,000 for funding of services and projects—sending city officials on recruiting trips, for example—and spend $55,000 on memberships in organizations such as the Roane Alliance and Anderson County Economic Development Association. [Read more…]

City manager to present budget tonight

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

The city manager will present his proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 during a work session at 7 p.m. today in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

The budget presentation had earlier been scheduled for May 6, but it has been changed due to scheduling conflicts, a city press release said. [Read more…]