Admittedly, Tusculum City Commissioner Barbara Britton said, had there been a full quorum at last night’s Board of Mayor and Commissioners meeting, she would not have voted in favor of the new $1.2 million fiscal year budget.
However, with the clock ticking to approve the budget by the end of the month, Britton and Mayor Alan Corley both voted in favor of its passage on second and final reading. Commissioner Mike Burns was absent.
ADDITIONAL OFFICER FOR POLICE
Britton voiced concerns that while Tusculum is growing that brings more activity, more traffic and more people in the area. Britton said she would like to see the additional police officer requested by Chief Danny Greene as part of the budget adoption. Britton says there is actually the need for two or three more officers, but she understands financially that is completely all the question at this point.
The additional officer was not included in the approved budget. The new budget only leaves around $130,000 in the fund balance for 25-26. Mayor Corley said he would like to see one more budget year in the black before moving forward with an additional officer.
NEW CITY HALL
Britton said she would also like to see construction of the long discussed new City Hall begin soon, even if it’s a scaled down version of the artist rendering that hangs on the wall above board members during their monthly meetings.
Mayor Corley said he had gotten recent information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development program that some grant money may be available for such a project and the possibility of some low interest loans exist as well. He says he hopes construction on the project could begin sometime within the next year.
