CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Clarksville City Council gave final approval for the 2021 budget, which includes a 20-cent property tax increase and a sweeping infrastructure plan, at a special session Wednesday afternoon, concluding a long, heavily debated process.

Council members voted 8-5 to approve the budget. Yes votes came from Richard Garrett, Vondell Richmond, Wanda Smith, Travis Holleman, Karen Reynolds, Stacey Streetman, Ashlee Evans and Mayor Joe Pitts. Voting no were Dajuan Little, Wallace Redd, Jason Knight, Wanda Allen and Trisha Butler.

The two chief items on this year’s budget are an ambitious infrastructure plan, originally presented by Pitts in February, and a 20-cent property tax increase to pay for it.

“The tax increase is devoted entirely to the transportation plan. Every ward, every area of the city, will enjoy some aspect of it,” Pitts told Clarksville Now. “We are a growing city in every area, and we need to make sure that if you’re going to be asked to pay for it, you need to enjoy some of the work.”

Wednesday’s vote marks the conclusion of a heated process just before the deadline to pass a budget. Council members voted down a previous budget proposal on its second reading last Thursday with many members voicing concerns of a property tax increase. Pitts’ second budget proposal cut the tax increase as well as the Transportation Plan, though both were added back to the budget by amendment on Tuesday, June 28.

“Thank you to the City Council for their support of the budget. It was not an easy decision, as you know, because of the tax increase,” Pitts said. “We have a growing city with growing needs, and everybody will share in the work that will be done.”

While the budget did ultimately pass, some council members did speak in opposition to the budget process. Allen told her peers that she would vote no due to the lack of compromise.

“I think the most disappointing thing for me is that there was never the ability to meet in the middle,” Allen told the council. “At some point, we have to stop looking at what I want versus what they want or the city wants versus what the community wants, and we have to start trying to meet each other in the middle.”

The property tax increase, along with the rest of the budget, will into effect July 1, bringing 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.

The City Council will meet next on Thursday of this week at 6 p.m. for their monthly regular session, which will include such matters as an option-to-sell agreement with Silicon Ranch for the creation of a solar power facility in Clarksville