City of Smithville employees to get pay raises in new budget

June 7, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

City employees will soon be getting a pay raise.

The Smithville Mayor and Aldermen Monday night during their regular monthly meeting adopted on first reading a budget ordinance for the 2022-23 fiscal year which includes an 11% pay raise for all city employees.

Second and final reading passage of the budget is scheduled for June 23 at 6 p.m. at city hall following a public hearing.

The city property tax rate will remain at 0.7523 cents per $100 of assessed value which is expected to generate $1,350,000.

Water and sewer rates, which went up by 2% last year, will increase by 4% this year.

The new rates for city water customers will be $7.70 per thousand gallons of usage. Rates for customers outside the city limits will be $11.55 per thousand. City sewer customers will pay $7.17 per thousand. Tap fees are also being increased.

In addition to the employee raises, the mayor’s pay is being increased from $1,000 to $2,000 per month ($24,000 per year). Pay for each of the five city aldermen will also be doubled from $50 to $100 per meeting (regular and special meetings) and will include workshop meetings (up to $2,400 per year total budgeted for each member).

The new budget also includes the addition of a third paid firefighter (budgeted salary $35,131 plus benefits); making the part-time airport manager position full time (budgeted salary $40,000 plus benefits), increasing the salary of the golf pro shop/pool manager to ($36,000 plus benefits),increasing the 25 volunteer firefighters pay from $25 to $35 per call (total budget $70,000); purchasing a small garbage truck ($115,000), two police cars and related equipment ($82,000), a new roof for the city hall building ($100,000); two new heat and air units for the city hall building ($42,000); the refurbishment of the playground and benches at Green Brook Park ($48,000); tire changer and balancer for the public works department ($15,000); fire department portable radios, new air bags and controller, pickup truck, and site work training (total $61,000). Funds are also included for street paving ($335,000 including $250,000 grant); $699,012 in an obstruction clearing grant for the airport; Fixed asset water and sewer department additions: meter reading software ($12,000), tube settlers ($30,000), and replacement of sewer lines ($703,000 using half of the Federal American Rescue Plan Act Grant Funding).

Through a longstanding agreement, the City of Smithville, DeKalb County Government, and the DeKalb School District, share in the annual cost of paying two traffic control officers in the school zones mornings and afternoons (during the school year) at Northside Elementary School and at DeKalb Middle School/DCHS. The positions are filled by two constables who each earn $17 per hour up to 440 hours per year. Subject to final approval of the funding bodies, the city, county, and school district this year are budgeting an increase in their share of the cost to bring the constables up to $20 per hour for this service.

The city’s annual contribution the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad is increasing from $2,000 to $3,000 with passage of this budget.

General Fund Debt Service for the new police department building is projected to be $172,550 for the year including $100,000 in principal payments and $72,550 in interest on long-term debt.

According to the budget, the city general fund is projected to finish the 2022-23 year with a $186,440 surplus but the surplus for the water and sewer fund is expected to be only $6,403 by June 30, 2023.

Ending cash by June 30, 2022 in the general fund is estimated to be $5,873,189 and $3,803,848 in the water and sewer fund.

June 7, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A woman and child were injured Sunday night after their car plunged off an embankment on Highway 70 near the Alexandria Livestock Sale Barn.

Trooper Brent Collier of the Tennessee Highway Patrol said 66-year-old Joan M. Carnahan of Hermitage, and a 12-year-old girl from Clarksville, were traveling west on Highway 70 in a 2013 Nissan Altima 4 door sedan when Carnahan fell asleep. The car ran off the side of the roadway, went down an embankment and came to rest against some rocks near a creek.

Deputies with the DeKalb Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb EMS, and the DeKalb County Fire Department’s Liberty Station responded to the scene, along with the DeKalb Rescue Squad.

Carnahan and the young passenger were taken by ground ambulance to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital.

June 7, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

Under a new state law, the Tennessee General Assembly has waived state registration fees for Class A and Class B motor vehicles, for renewals after July 1, 2022 and before June 30, 2023.

Class A includes motorcycles and autocycles and Class B includes passenger motor vehicles and motor homes. The state portion of the fee that is waived under this law is $16.75 for Class A and $23.75 for Class B. Other fees that are earmarked for safety and system improvement purposes, as well as the additional electric vehicle registration fee and county fees, are not waived under the new law.

“We want to make sure motorists are aware they will not pay this state registration fee when they renew their registration during the next fiscal year,” Revenue Commissioner David Gerregano said. “However, other fees may still apply. Be sure to check with your local county clerk, as applicable fees do vary.”

For more information, please read Important Notice #22-12 on the Department of Revenue’s website.

(Click link below)

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/revenue/documents/notices/titlereg/tr22-12.pdf

The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The department collects about 87 percent of total state revenue. During the 2021 fiscal year, it collected $18.4 billion in state taxes and fees and more than $3.7 billion in taxes and fees for local governments. To learn more about the department, visit www.tn.gov/revenue.

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