CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville City Council unanimously approved the second and final reading of the annual budget on Tuesday, which included passing a number of amendments.

The operating budget forecasts revenue from taxes and other financing sources rising from $136 million budgeted in fiscal year 2022 to $142 million in FY 2024.

Operating expenses were $120 million in the FY 2023 budget, and they will rise to $134 million in the FY 2024 budget.

Amendments passed

Three amendments passed, which included a grant for Clarksville Fire Rescue, two additional AED machines for a local senior center and for the city to collect a tree inventory.

Councilperson Stacey Streetman sponsored the first amendment, and she proposed that they roll over capital outlay items due to supply chain issues and add a Clarksville Fire Rescue hazmat grant.

Streetman said this grant would allow for CFR to have in-house training when dealing with hazardous materials. The training would include simulations for situations such as a fuel spill.

The grant totaled $54,080, which required a 20% match from the city’s fund balance. After Streetman spoke on the amendment, it was passed unanimously by the council.

Councilperson Brian Zacharias brought a second amendment that involved the city purchasing two additional AEDs for the senior center.

The need for tree inventory

The third amendment was Councilperson Karen Reynolds’ proposal for the city to conduct a tree inventory for $30,000.

Reynolds said that the Tree Board has asked for an inventory to be done for the past eight years, and each time the city had said no.

She pleaded that this inventory needs to be done because of budgeting, reducing liability, heading off pest outbreaks and improving the overall health of the city’s urban forest.

Council members Travis Holleman and Wanda Smith spoke against spending $30,000 toward the inventory.

The amendment narrowly passed 6-5. Holleman, Smith, Deanna McLaughlin, Streetman and Mayor Joe Pitts voted no.

After the meeting, Reynolds said, “We need to know the right tree, the right place and the right time. Like I said, our forester has been working blindly. We’ve gotten all of these trees, but we don’t know what we have and don’t have. So, this is also about tree equity: Where in the community are they missing? Without an inventory and canopy study, we don’t know.

“Our most vulnerable communities are usually the ones that have the least tree canopy coverage. I actually presented that last week. We have 11 areas within our community that are missing at least 70% of their tree canopy, and six of them are in our low-income districts.”

In addition to the tree inventory costing $30,000, the city will have to pay a couple thousand dollars per year to maintain the software that records the information.

Correction: Wanda Smith spoke against the tree inventory while Wanda Allen spoke in favor of the amendment.