By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Grayson city council were scheduled to meet yesterday (Tuesday) evening in special session where it was expected they would approve their budget on second reading. Though the meeting was scheduled to begin after press time for this publication, most of the details of the budget have been worked out already.
Meeting in a special session called last Wednesday, specifically for the intent of a first reading, council held discussion for approximately six minutes after hearing the reading and before adjourning.
During that discussion councilman Troy Combs called for the reduction of a line item for resurfacing costs from the street department budget by $30,000 – from $200,000 to $170,000 – to reflect actual projected costs. That would reduce total street department expenditures from ARPA funds and add those funds back to the ARPA balance.
However, councilman Terry Stamper noted there were more streets that could benefit from the purchase of additional asphalt. After a short discussion council decided to leave the extra $30,000 in the budget for resurfacing to repair more streets if possible.
The budget approved on Wednesday, and scheduled for approval on Thursday, allots $708,746 to administrative and general government expenditures; $1,615,291.84 to police; $801,276 to the street department; $528,071.84 to the fire department; $64,493 for emergency management; $62,584 for parks, recreation, and cultural expenditures; and $51,119 for alcohol beverage control.
Another $7,329,980 was appropriated from the enterprise fund, for projects covered under it, but the city simply acts as a pass through entity for those funds and projects.
With the exception of police, streets, and ABC, all departments were funded fully by the General Fund, with total appropriations of $2,814,902 and the ARPA fund with $883,383.08 in total revenue and $628,921.68 in appropriations, for a balance of $254,461.40 which must be committed to a use by 2024, and expended by 2026, per city clerk Duane Suttles.
In addition to their general fund – $401,518 – and ARPA – $298,000 – appropriations, the street department received $28,753 from the LGEA (local government economic assistance) fund and $73,005 from the MRAP (municipal road aid) fund. The police department received $1,345,800 from the general fund – the single largest appropriation from the fund and nearly half it’s $2,814,902 total – in addition to $234,881 from the ABC fund and $36,610.84 from the ARPA fund.
Alcohol beverage control receives the total of their funding from their own ABC fund.
For updates from Tuesday night’s meeting, please check our online edition or listen for our coverage in partnership with WUGO/WGOH radio.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com