CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Mayor Joe Pitts gave the City Council an update on changes to the Transportation 2020+ Plan Monday evening, and he proposed an increase in the property tax to pay for it.
Pitts initially presented his extensive transportation plan in February of this year. The plan includes road improvements, sidewalks, two roundabouts and various other upgrades for Clarksville drivers and pedestrians. Since then, the city has conducted a survey and collected public comments on the project in order to make changes.
“The Transportation 2020+ Strategy was prepared to set our priorities for streets, sidewalks, greenways and public transportation for the near future and beyond,” Pitts said in release by the city. “We need a roadmap that we commit to follow, even as we move through elections and personnel changes. Otherwise, we’ll never get where we need to go.”
According to the city’s survey, 64% of citizens supported the Transportation 2020+ Plan, though Pitts noted that those numbers are likely to change as discussions of funding the project begin.
Changes to Tier 1 projects
The transportation plan places proposed projects in three tiers based on priority. Tier 1 currently contains 13 priority projects.
Pitts told council members that some projects had been upgraded to priority 1 since his last update. Those projects include:
- Needmore Road / Boy Scout Road to Tiny Town Road
- Memorial Extension/ Old Farmers Road / Trough Springs Road
- Highway 48/13 sidewalks and crosswalks
A project involving Cunningham Bridge has been downgraded to tier 2 to give state officials more time to plan the project.
The cost
Revised estimates for tier 1 of the Transportation 2020+ put the cost at around $202.2 million, with $41 million currently authorized.
A portion of that cost would be covered by federal money, including $10 million for a relocated Public Transit Center. Several sidewalk projects are also eligible for grants.
After figuring in grants and prior authorizations, Pitts’ plan proposes borrowing $167 million in varying bonds between 2022 and 2026.
How to pay for it
To fund tier 1 of his plan, Pitts proposed a 20-cent property tax increase, which would bring the city property tax to $1.23 per $100 of assessed value, 1 cent under the $1.24 rate that was in place from 2011 until 2019, with the exception of 2015.
According to Pitts’ presentation, the average appraised home value in Clarksville is approximately $166,997. Under the proposed property tax increase, a home of that value would see an increase of $83.67 per year in property taxes, or an additional $6.97 per month.
The increase would provide $6.9 million in revenue for infrastructure projects and allow the city to borrow $167 million over the next six years to pay for transportation projects.
Pitts defended the tax increase, saying that citizens would see a physical benefits for their money.
“It is not lost on me that we are going to be asking our residents to pay more in taxes, but I can tell you that we’re going to be giving them a deliverable,” Pitts said. “We’re not just asking for tax increases for general government. We are giving them something for their money.”
Pitts’ plan will be reviewed by city department leaders at a series of meetings and formally presented to the council for a work session on June 15.
First reading for the plan is expected to take place at a special session on June 17 at 4:30 p.m., with the final vote scheduled for another special session on June 22 at 5:30 p.m. In the meantime, he invited councilors and the public to review the plan online and send in feedback and suggestions for further revisions.
The Transportation 2020+ Plan and Pitt’s updated presentation can be viewed online through the City of Clarksville website.