CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – City Council members voted to go back to approval of the Transportation 2020+ Plan, and a corresponding 20-cent property tax increase, on Monday at a special called session to address the city budget after failing to pass one last week.
The vote was 9-4; a second vote will be required Wednesday night.
The move to comes less than a week after council members voted against Mayor Joe Pitts’ original budget proposal, largely due to concerns over the increased property tax rate. Friday, the mayor announced his revised budget, which cut the 20-cent increase at the expense of the ambitious infrastructure plan.
“Now, with the City Council unwilling to support the full 20-cent tax increase to pay for it, it would be unwise to pick and choose which parts of town get projects and which ones don’t,” Pitts said in a news release after Thursday’s failed vote. “We designed Transportation 2020+ as a ‘One City’ plan, with each property owner helping to pay for it and every part of town sharing in the benefits.”
On Monday, Ward 10 council member Stacey Streetman proposed an amendment to add a property tax increase of 20 cent to fund the city’s infrastructure plan, which includes projects like road widenings, sidewalks and increased public transit.
“Recognize, our community is asking for this. They recognize that this is something that we need,” Streetman told council members.
Streetman’s amendment passed 8-3, with no votes coming from Wallace Redd, Wanda Allen and Trisha Butler.
The proposed increase will 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.
Ward 9 council member Karen Reynolds made another attempt to reduce the rate, this time to $1.20. Reynolds spoke in favor of the transportation plan, suggesting that the city could reduce budget increases to various departments in order to offset the reduced tax rate.
Her amendment failed 8-4 with 1 abstention from Wanda Smith. Yes votes came from Allen, Karen Reynolds, Ashlee Evans and Butler. Reynolds did, however, go on to vote yes to overall budget, saying that the transportation plan is too important to not support.
“I fully support the plan, and obviously the rest of the council does not support lowering the rate, so I’m not going to dig in and not support the transportation plan,” said Reynolds.
Council members voted 9-4 to approve the new budget at first reading. Yes votes came from Richard Garrett, Vondell Richmond, Dajuan Little, Smith, Travis Holleman, Reynolds, Streetman, Evans and Pitts. No votes came from Redd, Jason Knight, Allen and Butler.
Along with Reynolds, Garrett and Little changed their votes from Thursday’s meeting.
The City Council will vote again on the amended budget, which requires two votes to pass, on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. during a special-called session. If the council fails to pass a budget at that time, the 2020 budget will roll over to the new year until a budget is passed, putting the city at risk of lawsuit and freezing capital projects.