The Greeneville City Council has approved the new $34 million dollar fiscal year budget for the town on second and final reading.
The budget requires no tax increase with the tax rate of just under $1.71 per $100 of assessed property value remaining the same. The budget also includes a 2% cost of living increase for employees in addition to the step pay increase of 2.5%.
The approval took place during the Tuesday afternoon meeting of the board.
As part of the overall budget adoption, line item funding was approved for the Library, Dickson Williams Mansion, the Boys and Girls Club, Keep Greene Beautiful and the Airport. The $95,000 in economic and community development funding for the Greene County Partnership was also approved as a line item. However, distribution of funds and others who fall under the hotel/motel tax remains frozen while the town develops a policy or memorandum of understanding, as recommended by the state for those who receive the tourism appropriations. But the State Comptrollers office admitted to Greeneville Finance Director Lora Young even they were not up to date on recent state legislative action as it pertained to the hotel/motel tax.
Young says she is hopeful to have a funding policy in place in August which, when approved, would allow for distribution of those funds to those who fall under those appropriations. The Dickson Williams Mansion and Greene Fling have already been moved out of hotel/motel into line item appropriations.
