CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan has released a letter detailing the negative impacts the recent rejection of the city’s budget could have on the community.
The proposed amended budget was shot down by the City Council Tuesday night, partially because council members opposed the 18-cent property tax increase, which McMillan said is directly related to increased spending on public safety and roads.
LETTER FROM MAYOR KIM MCMILLAN
“The legal effect of this vote is that there is no budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal year,” McMillan said in the letter. “The ramifications of failing to adopt a budget are far-reaching and potentially disastrous.”
If a budget is not adopted by July 1, the city reverts back to the last year’s budget.
Potential effects of this decision, among others, include:
• Termination of employees in certain departments
• Loss of grant money for police projects
• Loss of funding for riverbank stabilization
• No funding for Fire Stations 11 and 12 and fire trucks
• Warfield Blvd. project could be halted
• Commuter bus service to and from Nashville may be in jeopardy
The mayor intends to call a special session June 25 to consider the second reading of the ordinances and submit a new General Fund Budget Ordinance for consideration. She said she also intends to call another special session June 26 or 29.