Crossville City Budget just over $1 million in the red with another Council work session set for Thursday

The Crossville City Council will return to working on the upcoming fiscal year budget in a work session set for Thursday, May 17 starting at 5:15 PM.

Crossville City Hall

The meeting will be held in conference room 317 on the third floor of Crossville City Hall. So far the council has met twice in work session on the budget, looked at much of the budget and made some minor changes to general fund spending. In addition, the council has studied water and sewer fund budget and discussed non-profit funding as well. The work session is open to the public.

The city's budget currently stands at just over $1.1 million in the red but with over $10 million in the fund balance that level can be sustained. Last year's budget was approved with a $3.8 million deficit and the year will end with an estimated deficit of around $2 million in the red, about half the original number. A number of capital projects have been delayed and that funding is moved to the upcoming budget.

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For the 2018-19 fiscal year, General Fund revenue is estimated at $19.4 million with expenditures just under $20.6 million.

Current budget spending totals for the Police Department stand at $4.1 million, the Fire Department at almost $2.9 million and the street department at almost $2.4 million make up nearly half of the city's budget. 

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Council also has a special called meeting set for May 24 and a public hearing that night on the city's capital improvement plan. No information on the agenda for the 24th has been released yet and is not expected until next week.   

Crossville City Council Discusses Economic Development Partnership Opportunities and Use of Hotel/Motel Tax

During the Crossville City Council's second work session on the 2018-19 fiscal year budget, a discussion of the use of the proposed Hotel/Motel tax led to a discussion of future plans for economic development, business and industry recruitment.

Crossville city council work session

According to City finance director Fred Houston, he expects the new revenue to be handled as a separate enterprise fund in the city budget and he has looked at the estimated $200,000 revenue and earmarked $10,000 for the Sports and Events Committee plus $45,000 for the city's expense of the visitor's center in partnership with the county.

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Later in the discussion, it was pointed out that in the first year because the collection of the tax is delayed quarterly the first year's revenue would be closer to $150,000.

City Manager Wood explained that an additional $28,000 could be used for work on the proposed retail development on 127-N. He added the remaining funds could be used to help fund the chamber or the Playhouse other tourism and economic development activities.

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Council discussing the possibility of partnering with Roane Alliance or the Highland Initiative on economic development and looking at budgeting for such a buy-in.

City Manager Greg Wood has been investigating the possibilities and said both groups are interested in talking to the city about such a partnership. Wood added that Roane County was willing to discuss such a partnership but seemed less eager than Highland.

Councilman Danny Wyatt said the groups are regional and those kinds of partnerships are being pushed at meetings like the Governor's Conference.

Mayor James Mayberry added that he felt like Cumberland County was like a stepchild stuck out at the end of the Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD) and UCHRA. “Our region is Cumberland County, Fentress County, and Bledsoe County,” added Mayberry. He said that the UCDD was trying to generate interest in a sub-region to include Cumberland, Fentress and Bledsoe Counties as a cooperative economic development group.

Councilman J. H. Graham commented, “That may be the best idea I've heard in a long time.”

Wyatt commented, “You've got to fit in somewhere. The definition of a fool is to keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. It has not been working.”

Mayberry asked the chamber's Brad Allamong how many site visits had come to Crossville and the response was 9 since July of 2017. Allamong added that the city made a huge investment in the Interchange Business Park of a quarter million and the county is in for a quarter million for the grant of half a million. He added that just this week ground was broken and work had begun on the 200,000 square foot pad.

“Now we're going to have something to market,” added Allamong. He also cited the Targeted Industry Study pointing out he had a list of hundreds of businesses that match with the area's current resources. Allamong continued that the next step is targeting industry currently in the high tax states. He said it was a similar idea as retirees that move from higher tax states to lower tax areas like Crossville.  

A busy Schedule for Crossville City Council and other Crossville Boards and Meetings

City of Crossville upcoming Meetings and Events from May 8 through May 18.

Tuesday

May 8              11:30 a.m.       Groundbreaking ceremony Interchange Park

May 8              1:00 p.m.         Palace Advisory Board

May 8              5:15 p.m.         City Council Audit Committee Meeting

May 8              5:45 p.m.         Meeting of the Crossville Beer Board

May 8              6:00 p.m.         City Council Meeting

Thursday 

May 10            5:00 p.m.         Call for Special Meeting

May 10            5:15 p.m.         Budget Work Session

Monday 

May 14            3:00 p.m.         Tree Board

Thursday

May 17            12:00 p.m.       Crossville Regional Planning Commission

Friday

May 18            11:00 a.m.       Catoosa Advisory Board

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