News
June 17, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen will meet in special session tonight (Thursday) to adopt the 2021-22 budget ordinance on second and final reading.
The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at city hall. Also on the agenda is the transfer of city employee Megan Moore from one department to another. Moore has served as Director of the Animal Shelter. She will be transferring from that position to another at city hall.
If approved the new budget will take effect July 1.
The new city spending plan includes a 2% increase in water and sewer rates and tap fees.
City water customers currently pay $7.25 per thousand gallons of usage. That will go to $7.40 per thousand. Rates for customers outside the city limits will increase from $10.88 to $11.10 per thousand. City sewer customers pay $6.75 per thousand gallons. That will jump to $6.89 per thousand. The new rates are expected to generate up to $50,000 a year in new revenue.
City officials believe its wiser to implement smaller rate increases now rather than larger hikes later to keep incoming revenues ahead of expenses and that is also the recommendation of the state comptroller. A year ago, the city’s water and sewer fund was projected to end the current fiscal year June 30, 2021 in the red by $37,713 but by keeping a close eye on spending the city is now expected show a surplus of $142,631 by the close of this month. This time next year with the rate increases included, the water and sewer fund is forecast to be in the black by $56,535.
Under state law, if a utility continues to operate at a loss for more than two years and doesn’t address it, the state has the authority to force rate increases to make it solvent.
The city property tax rate will drop from 0.899 cents to the new certified tax rate levied by the state of 0.7523 cents per $100 of assessed value to offset new reappraisal property assessments. Although the new certified tax rate is to generate about the same amount of local property tax revenue as this past year, the city is projecting $1,274,471 in property tax collections in 2021-22, down by $20,000 from $1,295,000 this past year (2020-21).
Still, the General Fund is projected to end the current fiscal year in the black by $388,766 on June 30, 2021 and $299,714 to the good by June 30, 2022.
The General Fund Debt Service for the new police department building is projected to be $177,550 for the year including $100,000 in principal payments and $77,550 in interest on long-term debt.
The new budget also includes funding for:
* A 3% cost of living pay raise for hourly city employees with more than four years of service. Hourly workers with four years of service or less will receive a step raise on their employment anniversary date with a 3% cost of living increase July 1. Salaried employees will get a $5,000 pay raise.
*Another paid E911 dispatcher position at $40,405 (salary and benefits). This would increase the number of city funded dispatchers to four to a total annual cost of $160,000, up from $119,595
GENERAL FUND CAPITAL OUTLAY PROJECTS:
POLICE DEPARTMENT
*2 new police cars and related equipment: $95,000 ($45,000 of which is grant funded with local match)
*Furniture and office equipment for new Police Department building: $125,000
STREET DEPARTMENT
*Salt truck: $20,000
*Bridge capital repairs: $25,000
*Street paving $335,000 which includes $250,000 grant
*Unspecified: $15,000
FIRE PROTECTION
*10 portable radios: $9,200
*New Air Bags and Controller: $15,000
*Battery Powered Combination Rescue Tool: $10,000
*Swiftwater equipment: $5,000
*Site work for training site: $6,000
*Unspecified: $30,000
AIRPORT
*Obstruction Clearing Grant: $899,012
*Unspecified: $10,000
PUBLIC WORKS-BUILDINGS & GROUNDS
*Lift and Forks: $20,000
*Unspecified: $5,000
OTHER GENERAL GOVERNMENT
*TN Local Government Support COVID 19 Grant- $136,000
PARKS AND RECREATION
*Walking Trail Improvements: $20,000
*Unspecified: $10,000
MUNICIPAL POOL
*Strainer: $10,000
*Unspecified: $5,000
GOLF COURSE
*Unspecified: $10,000
CITY HALL BUILDING
*Unspecified: $30,000
FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION
*Unspecified: $5,000
SANITATION
*Unspecified: $5,000
WATER AND SEWER FUND PROJECTS (FIXED ASSET ADDITIONS):
*Meter reading software: $10,000
*Backhoe: $103,000
*Tube settlers: $30,000
*Replacement of sewer lines: $600,000 (Half of Federal COVID Grant Funds)
Church Volunteers Spending a Week Helping Their Neighbors
June 16, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
Dozens of people from the Smithville Church of Christ are pitching in to help show their Christian love for others during the congregation’s annual Work Camp being held through Thursday this week.
The church began the work camp a few years ago as a means of helping less fortunate residents of the county do some fix up and cleanup projects around their homes. Much of the work includes building handicapped ramps, mowing lawns, and cutting down and trimming trees and bushes.
“We believe that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change as James writes in the New Testament. To paraphrase, everything we have been given, our energy, time, money, all of this are blessings we receive to bless others. We have a group of people including those who have taken vacation time who are coming out and being intentional about blessing other people because we love DeKalb County and we care about them so we are going to people who are less fortunate than we are including people who may be older, who have cancer, etc and if they need something done like moving brush, cleaning gutters, pressure washing, painting, building handicapped ramps, etc. we are doing that or whatever we can to help this week,” said Jonathan Anderson, Youth and Associate Minister of the Smithville Church of Christ.
Governor Bill Lee To Attend Opening Ceremonies for Jamboree
June 16, 2021
By:
The Board of Directors of the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Crafts Festival are pleased to announce the confirmation of the attendance of Governor Bill Lee to the opening ceremony for the 50 year festival. Gov. Lee will provide the official welcome to kick-off the long-awaited 50th Anniversary Celebration on Friday evening, July 2nd at 6:00PM on the Courthouse Square in Downtown Smithville, Tennessee.
“We were elated to receive the news that Gov. Lee will attend this year’s 50th Anniversary Celebration at the Jamboree,” said Sam Stout – President & Coordinator of the Jamboree, “After the challenges of last year, we are so very pleased to have this year’s festival supported in such a wonderful way. It is truly an honor & a privilege.”
In addition to the governor’s attendance, Senator Mark Pody, Congressman John Rose, Tennessee State Representatives Terri Lynn Weaver and Clark Boyd, the Smithville-DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, and City & County leaders will be on hand to welcome the crowd & recognize local emergency & first responders. WJLE will be broadcasting LIVE on AM 1480/FM 101.7 and LIVE Stream at www.wjle.com
For a schedule of events, go to the Jamboree website: www.smithvillejamboree.com
Join us for the 50th Anniversary Celebration coming July 2-3, 2021 from 9am-10pm daily on the Smithville, Tennessee Courthouse Square.
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